How can reading the Bible produce faith? Romans 10:17: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” One may wonder: “Shouldn’t faith rest on evidence instead of believing because it says so?” Faith cannot rest simply on the claim, but it can rest on the total package of history, harmony, reliability, … Read more
Faith in Hebrews 11 Faith is belief, conviction or confidence in a person or idea. It is a conclusion one holds without physical proof or personal experience. Therefore faith is an intellectual condition of decision or conclusion one holds. Hebrews 11 is commonly called “The Faith Chapter” because of its extensive description, illustration, application and reward … Read more
What Is Faith? “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for , the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1, NKJV) I have underlined two key words that make up this definition of faith as it is used in the Bible. A variety of words are used to express the meaning in other translations. Note the following: confidence —- … Read more
Christ – A prophet without honor? Mark 6:1-6 After returning to the western shore of the sea of Galilee, Jesus visits his hometown — Nazareth. On the Sabbath He took his turn to speak from the scriptures. The people were astonished at His teaching. They wondered where He learned these things and were amazed at … Read more
Let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ. All have sinned. Nobody is worthy of heaven. Notice, however, the need for real change to happen in the lives of those who would come to Christ for salvation by grace. Paul writes to the “saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi” (Philippians 1:1). These … Read more
Evidence for faith in Jesus Christ. Evidence for faith in Jesus Christ is available from the first pages of the New Testament. The opening pages of the book of Matthew offer extensive evidence from both prophecy and circumstances that bolster faith in Jesus of Nazareth. Matthew chapters one through four cannot be properly understood without … Read more
Trust in the Lord with all your heart… Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Look thoughtfully at this passage. Trusting in the Lord with all your heart does not mean that … Read more
Continued … in Prayer After the death of Jesus, the apostles went back to Galilee and, among other things, we read they returned to fishing. We do not know what they were thinking but it seems they were returning to their former life and that their hope in Jesus was damaged. When Jesus left … Read more
What does it take to be a disciple of Christ? Jesus answers this question in a brief, clear way in a couple of statements. John 8:31 — “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the … Read more
What are the gospel writers trying to accomplish? The writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are writing an account of the life of Jesus. Matthew and Luke begin with the story of his birth. Mark and John begin with the start of his ministry. But, what is their goal in writing? What do they … Read more
