B. The birth of Ishmael"And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it s

3. Ephesians 4:1-3 - Peace & ReconciliationEphesians 4:1-3 reminds us that we always need to work towards peace and reconciliation in our marriages. “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to

Please carefully read Mark 13:28-31 and answer the following questions.1.Jesus related a brief parable to re-emphasize what He was telling His disciples.What analogy did He give (vv. 28–29)?2. What did Jesus also add to this (v. 30)?3.What awesome truth and promise did Jesus give us all at the same time (v. 31)?NOTE: When Jesus said heaven and eart

But God's methods of dealing with us, as our Governor and Judge, are dearly revealed and perfectly known. Namely, that he will finally reward every man according to his works: "He that believes shall be saved, and he that does not believet shall be condemned."Therefore, though "God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wa

And here, at the beginning of the sacred book, we read of that Divine Spirit, whose work upon the heart of man is so often mentioned in other parts of the Bible. Observe that at first there was nothing desirable to be seen, for the world was without form and void. It was confusion, and emptiness. In like manner the work of grace in the soul is a ne

The Greek translators of the Bible used the word, parabola ("parable"), which the gospel writers (except John) employ for our Lord's discourses of the same character, and which also seems to involve the idea of comparison, though that may not be its primary meaning. It might seem, therefore, that the proverbial and "parable-styles" of writing were

On Thanksgiving 1988, in this very sanctuary, one young woman who is here today learned to thank God for salvation. After a life apart from God and with no thanksgiving on her lips, the Spirit of the Lord led a lonely young woman with no family around her to find a church, which was open on Thanksgiving. She was just about to give up, when she saw

Purpose - Not only natural, but even the voluntary actions of men, are ordered and disposed by God. But it must be considered that he does not here speak of a time allowed by God, wherein all the following things may lawfully be done, but only of a time fixed by God, in which they are actually done.(Adapted from John Wesley's Explanatory Notes, The

Don’t be afraid. This is the amazing beauty of God’s love toward us, that “while we were still sinners, He died for us.” The truth is, there isn’t anything you can do that will ever change His mind. His love for you is the same yesterday, today...and forever!Used by permission of wisdom for the heart.

Life has fooled us. Many of us have been duped into thinking that money = blessing. Dig a little deeper and you get to real blessings:: relationships, love, eternal life, the Presence of God. These are first-rate blessings – Greater Blessings!Jesus asks you a very straightforward question: “What do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose y

To walk as Christ walked is to live, not only by rules, but by example. It is to follow Him, to be His disciple. Such a discipleship is personal, active, and costly. It is personal because it cannot be passed off to another. There was no escaping the call to a personal discipleship for Peter.To walk as Christ walked is also active because the Lord

Verse 8 indicates John's also entering the tomb. Now he sees the complete picture. Faith wells up, and sorrow is drowned out as Peter and John comprehend a miraculous resurrection. Christ's past speaking of the Resurrection now can be understood. Previously they were slow of heart and understanding. But now they see what was predicted, though not f

(Adapted from the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.)A Thought to KeepOutward forms of faith do not impress God if there's no evidence of a changed, repentant heart. Examine yourself to see where you stand.

Is this not universal Christian teaching? It is in dying that we live; it is in denying ourselves that we find ourselves; it is in giving that we receive. Paul understands the same principle when he says, in 2 Corinthians 2:1, that he has learned to rejoice when he is weak, for when he is weak, he experiences God's strength. All of this, of course,

Third DayPray Read these scripture references aloud.Eph 4:25 Rid yourself of lying and speak truthfully.Ps 86:11 Learn God's ways so that you can live by His truths.Jn 4:23 Worship God in your heart and in truth.Josh 24:14 Serve God with sincerity and in truth.1 Pet 1:22 Be obedient to God's truth by loving one another with a clean heart.Zech

1. Be the Fun “So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 8:15, NLT).Life is too short for it not to be enjoyable. God created this beautiful world for us

The Psalmist said, “Your word have I hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”Sometimes when we face discouragement or temptation we remember a word we have memorized and it is exactly what we need in that moment to encourage us or give us strength. In evangelistic conversations or times when you are discipling another believer you oft

Why? Other books may come and go. The Bible is here to stay. Thousands of years have passed since the Bible was written. Empires have risen and fallen. Civilizations have changed and changed again. Science has pushed back the frontiers of knowledge. Yet the Bible stands: timeless, ultimate, indestructible.Emperors like Diocletian have decreed its e

The poor even had to sell themselves into slavery. That was permitted in that land under the Mosaic system. They would buy the needy for a pair of shoes - that's how cheap they were! And they would sell the poor the refuse of the wheat. That means they got the "seconds," the leftovers which an honest dealer throws away. I have never felt right abou

(Adapted from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible, Colossians 1:10.)A Thought to KeepA growing faith is a two-step process: first, we must know the Lord's commands. Second, we must ask in faith for His help in following them.