In John 6:48, Jesus said that he was the bread of life. Then, in John 6:51, he said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever.” Jesus shared a last meal with his disciples on the night he was betrayed. And as he broke the bread, he told them to “Take and eat; this is my body.”The bread of the Pres

Does Having Women in Church Leadership Hurt the Testimony of the Church?Clearly we see from the New Testament that women helped to build the church. I believe we do the church a disservice when we don’t recognize the gifting God has given to women in the church. We know all gifts are given for the building up of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:7) and

Even before He went to the cross, God said in the hearing of others, “This is My beloved Son. With Him I am well-pleased. Listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5). In a sense, then, Jesus is the ultimate pleasing aroma to the Father.Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). As such, His atonement includes the components of expiation and propitiat

What Does How Old Mary Was Teach Us about God's Calling?Mary’s beautiful example teaches us that God calls people of strong faith to accomplish wondrous purposes. Hebrews 11:1 explains the kind of faith that God is looking for: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” When Mary received God’s call to ser

John 11:25-26: "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?'"Romans 6:9: “For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.”1 Peter 1:3: “P

What Do BC and AD Mean? Different civilizations have marked the passage of time throughout its existence; it did not start with the Roman Empire. Usually, particularly in the ancient times, a people group tracked history based on their own culture. It would be based on their own understanding of the origin of their people, of key events in their ci

What Makes El Elyon Different from Other Names of God? El Elyon was not only used by the Israelites. In biblical days everyone worshiped gods, and called them “el.” Likewise, they also used the term “elyon.” “Elyon” means “most high.” The Canaanites also called their god of gods “el elyon.” This may seem confusing, but as John Oakes explains in Evi

But this futility wasn’t always the experience of humanity. The world of Genesis 1 and 2 is not the same world of Ecclesiastes. Everything there was good. Humanity lived in fulfillment. Fellowship was unbroken. But there was a promise that death and emptiness and futility would enter into the world upon rebellion from God’s good purpose. And that i

Symbol #1: The CrossThis symbol shows the t-shaped structure of the biblical cross, where Jesus gave his life to make humanity’s salvation possible. Crosses made be made of any type of material, but they are usually either wooden (like the cross where Jesus died) or metal (which is more durable). Crosses that also feature a figure representing Jesu

Lord, I love that You know all about me. And when You see desires of mine that are not fully in line with Yours, You do not toss me aside. You, instead, send friends my way to love me back to You. You send songs my way that remind me of where I need to be in my relationship with You. You send words my way that remind me that You are the One who ope

And he's just getting warmed up. Read the rest of this Christmas sermon from our collection of Christian writings that never get old.

Is Jesus Really God?In one sense, God and Jesus are “the same” in that they comprise the Trinity, the Triune God, a three-in-one mystery. In another sense, they are separate entities, three separate co-equal, co-eternal people comprising the one Almighty God. It does get confusing — at times we say “God” meaning the Triune God, and at other times w

The 11 Best Podcasts to Help Grow Our Faith 1. Open Book with Dr. Stephen NicholsLigonierDr. Nichols is the president of the Reformation Bible College in Sanford, Florida, chief academic officer for Ligonier Ministries, and a teaching fellow for Ligonier Ministries. His podcast, Open Book, examines books that have affected and shaped the lives of C

Do We See Mention of the Day of the Lord Anywhere Else in Scripture?The Day of the Lord is also referred to as simply “the day.” It is mentioned or alluded to hundreds of times throughout Scripture, appearing everywhere from the psalms and Lamentations to the prophets, the epistles, and Jesus himself.How Can We Prepare for the Day of the Lord?Jesus

The Lord hears our complaints and answers them with object remembrances from His Word, His faithfulness to us in our past, and in His promises for our futures. He provides clear paths to bring glory to Him. Go ahead and complain, but complain with the right “heartitude,” that you are heartbroken because God’s name is being sullied by rebellious, di

1. A Prayer to Know Christ’s Love Our first prayer is not for those we find hard to love, but for ourselves. Think of it like the instruction on airplanes, to put your mask on first before helping others. We need to pray to know Christ’s love in our own lives.Heavenly Father,I thank You that by believing in your Son, Jesus Christ, my whole life is

What Is Compassion? The dictionary defines compassion as “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.” It differs from empathy or pity, in that while these words indicate an emotional response to the suffering of others, compassion moves one to act.rāḥam

Jesus gives them an interesting lesson to think about when He says, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice.” It comes down to this. Jesus wanted them to know He wasn’t there for the perfect, sinless people – He wouldn’t be able to find people like that anyway. He also made it clear by quoting this truth from Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy and not sacrifice,

“I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people” (1 Corinthians 5:11).“Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’” (1 Corinthians 15:33).This goes back to influen

If we view this verse in its context, Paul is not making an argument about the offering of salvation; he is speaking of the results of salvation. The “all” there is not saying that God’s grace has brought salvation to all people who have ever lived. But it is saying that God is bringing salvation to all types/classes of people. Thus, the instructio