In Genesis, the cross was also foreshadowed in a substitute sacrifice—a ram taking Isaac’s place (Genesis 22:7-13). It was clearly pictured in Exodus in the blood of the slain lambs in Egypt at the first Passover. All the Levitical sacrifices outlined in the Old Testament were “a shadow of the things that were to come” in Christ. In the wilderness,

And this same woman, as she was sitting with us at the dinner table said, “I know God is doing something in my life, and I’m at peace with it.”James 1:2 says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.”Would you agree that it takes courage to be happy?I believe so, but friends, it means you’re not stuck with your moo

How Do Other Bibles Translate “As a Man Thinketh So Is He”?This version is from the King James, but other versions have slightly different wording:NIV: “. . . for he is the kind of person who is always thinking about the cost. ‘Eat and drink,’ he says to you, but his heart is not with you.”CSB: “. . . for as he thinks within himself, so he is. ‘Eat

1. Set a Time and Place This is where we can learn something from sports. If I say, “The Royals are playing today,” you’re immediately going to ask, “What time?” An athletic contest has a specific time and place for the event. Unless it’s a rain delay, and then you spend a couple hours watching old episodes of The Andy Griffith Show while you wait

Later, when questioned by the Pharisees, Jesus talks about how marriage between a man and a woman was God’s plan at the beginning, as two became united as one flesh. “Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate,” Jesus said (Matthew 19:6).He further added, expressing displeasure about divorce on improper grounds, “I tell you that a

Christians can show people in this broken world that there is hope and healing in Christ by living out agape love. Fighting for social justice, being there for someone in their grief, partaking in acts of kindness and hospitality, and helping someone in need—these are all notable examples of showing agape love.Before my conversion from agnosticism

Knowing the purpose of the Bible, the intended reader, and the goal (first reading or in-depth study, for example) can help narrow the prospects from the incredible variety of options currently available.How Do We Talk with Other Christians about Finding the Best Bible Translation?After a time, we all tend to develop our favorite translation or par

Testing and Trials Leads to Refinement Have you ever smelled a rotten egg or milk that had gone bad? There are few worse aromas than foods that have spoiled. Something spoils because it is neglected over time, allowing bacteria to grow. There is a saying that became popular among Christian homes, “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” The phrase is not

9. Humility Reflects Christ to a Broken World“Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12).Our witness to the world reflects who we are in Christ. Those who have gone before leave a legacy of what being a holy and beloved Christian looks like (Hebrews 12:1).

1. A Trial Scripture teaches that God uses the trials we experience to refine us, motivating us to step out of our comfort zone and grow in faith. The Apostle James said that we should delight in trials because the testing of our faith produces the fruit of perseverance, which brings us closer to Christian maturity (James 1:2-4).Trials push us out

What Are Some Examples of God Hearing Prayers?The Bible contains a number of examples of God hearing someone’s prayers. Before David became king, he and his men returned to their community, Ziklag, and discovered it had been raided and burned by the Amalekites and all their people had been taken captive, including two of David’s wives, Abigail and

To walk uprightly means to walk in obedience before the Lord, but let me give you a different way of looking at it. To walk uprightly means you care about what God thinks of you. It reminds me of when Jesus was baptized, and God said, "This is my son with whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17). The person walking uprightly is not concerned about the

It is precious to think about the grace that God gave Hannah, to have this vital time to love and care for her son Samuel as a baby. Even though it would come with sacrifice, there was grace within it. God deals graciously with us in our lives as well. He calls us to hard things, but He is there with us and He knows that we are weak humans.5. God B

HealthWe expect to live relatively healthy lives. Injuries, illnesses and challenges touch us all, but diseases, disorders, disabilities, and negative medical diagnoses can be shocking at best and debilitating and devastating at worst. Health, of course, isn’t just physical. We also desire, and even expect, mental and emotional health as well. The

Love motivates us to be kind. We can only show acts of kindness to our enemies and those who hate us by the power of the Spirit and the Word of God changing our hearts and lives. When we realize that we did not deserve kindness from God, but punishment, we are much more aware of how small a task it is in comparison to show kindness out of His love

I believe there is something inside of us that recognizes this option is not the right one. We’ve all observed those who have traveled this road, and it’s obvious that something is “off” in their life. There is a hardness to their heart, an emptiness or even a hollowness that they project in their personality. A soul lacking the energy and life of

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).John, Peter, and Paul all wrote about the love we ought to display to “one another.” “For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning

When we find ourselves prioritizing achievement, whether from fear or pride, over relational intimacy with Christ, may we remember His assurance in Matthew 6:19-32. Here He told us not to store up treasures on earth or worry about what we’ll eat, drink or wear, adding, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be

1. Genuine Friendship with Others Points to Our Ultimate Friend, Jesus“Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you — better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away” (Proverbs 27:10).Anyone who has lived far away from family, whether in proximity or in spirit, knows how p

Even in the book of Lamentations, where Jeremiah is weeping over Jerusalem's destruction and the people's captivity, he is not hopeless. In Lamentations 3, he goes from listing all of the pain and misery he is suffering to a message of hope by recalling the goodness of God: "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassi