“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” James raises a question in chapter 4: Where do all of your troubles come from? While my typical response is to blame everything and everybody around me, James offers the real answer: “Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your … Read more
In my Father’s house … What? Jesus told the twelve apostles, “In my Father’s house are many mansions … I go to prepare a place for you …” (John 14:1-2). The word mansion stands for the Greek word that literally means a staying (place), abode, or dwelling. The English Standard Version says “many rooms.” Heaven is not a place … Read more
Saved from Sin Means …What? What does it mean to be saved from sin? There are two very different parts to our salvation from sin. Romans chapter 6 covers both, with an emphasis on the second part. When one sins, he bears the guilt of that sin and, therefore, the consequences of that sin. “The … Read more
What if I don’t get anything out of worship? Frequently I have heard people express their frustration and disappointment about how they fail to get much out of worship. This is often felt as a result of displeasure with the way leaders conduct the service or how the congregation behaves during worship. I understand … Read more
Who is going to heaven? We like quick easy answers, even for our big questions. In the list of big questions, this is the biggest. I need to resist the urge to give you a short answer that does not properly represent God’s revelation. The whole Bible is written to teach us how we … Read more
Faith comes by hearing the word of God – Romans 10:17. Some may not be impressed by this claim. How can hearing the word make you a believer in it? Shouldn’t there be outside evidence? There is an abundance of “outside” evidence: archaeological confirmation, fulfillment of prophecy, and the testimony of ancient documents. However, … Read more
What does the New Year Mean? To the God of all eternity, the passing of one year and the beginning of a new probably means nothing. Even for you and me, there is little if any difference between December 31 and January 1. It is about like moving from Tuesday to Wednesday. It is … Read more
Do you want to learn to play the guitar or speak Italian? I have always wanted to learn to play the guitar. I even received one as a gift when I was a young boy. I still want to. Recently I have wished I could speak Spanish. I am thinking about working on that. … Read more
A beautiful, happy scripture in a time of tumult “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied” Acts 9:31. This is a sweet little stand-alone verse between two sections of … Read more
Is there, really, only one way? Peter and John, Jesus’ apostles, were on trial for their lives for teaching His death and resurrection (Acts 4:5-12). They defended themselves by proclaiming what they believed to be true. That included their declaration: “…there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be … Read more
