Consider the challenges I have posed so far as “speed bumps,” particularly for the use of ditch passages for ditch problems. Slow down! There’s more than meets the eye for this passage or this person. Seek to deepen your Spirit-led intuitions, and your use of Scripture will be even more fruitful. Your “hunches” with Scripture and with people may be

Finally, the word translated “perish” is derived from a verb (para‘), which generally means to “let go” or “let loose.” The translation of this verb as perishing is highly unlikely when it is considered that of its 16 uses in the Old Testament none of these are translated in this fashion. It is used of uncovering (letting loose) one’s head when a t

The Discipline of Prayer This seems like an easy enough component of personal ministry to implement on a daily basis, whether single or married, however; prayer can be one of the things we bypass most in our relationship with God, between feeling we have to set aside time for a lengthy conversation with God (not true) or the possible discomfort in

James 5:15 raises another question for many people: the question of whether prayer—at least a prayer with strong enough faith—always results in healing. Certainly sin can be a barrier to answered prayer. James has already covered this in 4:2-3: “You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong

Is the Bible Still Relevant Today?According to the most recent research conducted by Barna in 2017, 87% of American households own a Bible. But the question is, how many people are reading it? Like a lot of people who grew up in church and stayed around, I have accumulated several Bibles over the years. I still own my first "real" Bible, a King Jam

All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. IS 54.13The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you. PS 102.28I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generous

The Value of DisciplineDear Alex,Your friend wins!I think that most everyone agrees that children who experience little or no discipline often grow up to be stubborn, unmanageable, misguided, and rebellious teenagers and adults.Therefore, it should come as no surprise that because we are His spiritual children, our Father in heaven has every intent

The Planning of the Apostle PaulWe will take just one example of Paul's planning from the many that we could take from Acts and from his letters. Romans 15:20–28,I make it my ambition (i.e., my plan) to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on another man's foundation.... But now, since I no longer have any room f

1. He wasn’t an author. That may seem strange, since his name is on so many books. But Chambers was a preacher and teacher rather than a writer. Oswald’s wife, Biddy, an accomplished stenographer, carefully recorded nearly every lesson he taught and later converted her notes into books. The couple had just worked together on Baffled to Fight Better

Truth #5 – I am a Citizen of Heaven!Earth isn’t our everlasting home. Our citizenship is in heaven. Together we eagerly wait for Jesus to come and take us to live with Him forever. In the meantime we have direct access to God through the Holy Spirit. When days are long and nights are painful, we can remember where our real home is. This life of ups

Having a consistent place where you read is also important as well. Now, there is no such thing as a holy place where Bible reading must be done, but have a particular place where you read so that it acts as a mental cue. When I sit down to eat breakfast at our dining room table, it reminds me to read the Bible when I am done. The same can be true

When they say “I’m sorry,” they look to you as the pastor or Christian counselor to be their advocate for amnesty with the person he or she has harmed. They believe grace means they are immediately granted immunity from the relational fallout of their serious sin. They believe forgiveness entitles them to full reconciliation and will pressure you a

2. Growing in holiness and obedience in our own livesAs we open God’s Word, we will be transformed into His likeness. When we live our lives for Christ it will be evident to those we are in contact with. They will see that there is something different about how we live and it could open up opportunities to share our hope with others. Through readin

The question of Bible listeningMany sincere believers think (consciously or subconsciously) that you have to read, comprehend, and stay engaged with every single word while reading the Bible, or it doesn’t count.Do I ever find myself drifting off into space while listening to my audio Bible? Yeah, all the time. (The same thing happens when I’m read

5. Anger Is Covered by Christ’s Blood: The blood of Christ is sufficient to cover your sinful anger. No matter what wrath has protruded from your mouth or what you’ve done physically to harm others or yourself, you can be forgiven and walk in newness of life. Anger is a sin, but the death of Christ is payment enough to cover it. If you have died wi

So it wasn’t until I had a reason to fly out to Santa Fe that I began to fully appreciate what my husband knew. As we lifted off and turned west, I suddenly realized I was watching the southern plains unfurl beneath me, transected by the Red River Valley, punctuated by the Llano Estacado. I saw the fingers of the Mesalands reaching toward the mount

1. Call on the name of Jesus.Start here. It sounds so simple but there is power in the name of the Lord.Are you fed up with your own solutions and ready for real healing to occur?  Simply call on the name of Jesus.  Even if that is the extent of your prayer, say His name.  Call on His name.  I have done this so many times when I’ve been in really b

First Sunday of AdventSecond Sunday of AdventThird Sunday of AdventFourth Sunday of AdventThe History of AdventOriginally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas. Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Ep

“But when he—the Spirit of truth—comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak from himself, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will proclaim to you the things to come. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and will proclaim it to you. Everything that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said

2. The Redeeming Work of the Gospel Enables Us to Hear and Obey GodWhen Paul is addressing the Corinthians regarding sexual sin, he doesn’t tell them that if they just believe, God will remove all their ungodly sexual temptation. Instead, he assumes the possible presence of such temptations and writes things like, “Flee sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6