Paul clearly spells out the problem from his own experience in Romans 7. Here Paul writes,For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothi

Ken Sande asked this question at a conference I attended. He could have asked “what is the first thing” or “what are the first fifty things.” For me, the answers would all be variations on the same theme. I hate conflict; I want to run from it. The “things” that come to my mind about conflict are: hate, loathe and avoid.   Then he asked, “How many

1. Jesus taught us to follow Him, not riches.Matthew 19 tells of a rich young man who asked Jesus how to gain eternal life. Jesus said to keep the commandments, sell everything, and follow him. Saddened, the young man departed from Him. He had kept the commandments all his life, but couldn’t bring himself to leave his stuff behind. Leaving it behin

1. Our Future Is Bright“I am the light that shines through the cosmos; if you walk with Me, you will thrive in the nourishing light that gives life and will not know darkness” (John 8:12, VOICE). When Jesus was born on earth, angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields (Luke 2:8-16). In an instant, the pitch black sky burst forth with blinding l

Rethinking the Speck I’ve noticed that even in our Christian culture, it often seems taboo to keep each other accountable for our sin. When I talk about this topic, I am usually met with the following verses from Matthew 7:3–5:“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it

Then the New Testament turns its attention to the church, which is still about Jesus because the church is His body. The book of Acts shows how Jesus is working in the church today, through the gospel, by the power of the Holy Spirit.Then come all the letters that were written to the church — letters that tell about Jesus and how to live for Him. I

The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. PS 37:23-24This verse makes life so simple: If we delight in the Lord and his way, he will establish our steps. He will lead us and guide us. And we don’t have to worry about crashing and burning

1. Start on Your StreetGod commands us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” This phrase occurs many times in the Bible, from the Old Testament to the New. Galatians 5:14 signifies that “the entire law is fulfilled” through this poignant statement. The word ‘neighbor’ in Greek comes from a derivative of another word that means ‘near.’ Jesus taught t

For you, that would be wisdom.It would be the greatest evidence of it they could give, as they had shown none by speaking; it would be a proof of some in them, should they hold their peace; a very biting expression this see (Proverbs 17:28). (Adapted from john gill's exposition of the bible, job 13:5)A Thought to KeepA mature Christians doesn't alw

Here are 7 suggestions for those times:Don’t ignore the silence – Some of the biggest moves God has made in my life have come after a period of spiritual dryness… when it seemed like God was doing nothing in my life. Stay very close to God and watch for Him to eventually display His power. He will in the fullness of time.Confront known sin in your

1. George WashingtonGeorge Washington was, of course, the first president of the United States. His Christian faith is well-documented in The Writings of George Washington. Washington often made reference to a Divine Authority and to Providence in his speeches and writings. According to MountVernon.org, "Washington is reported to have had regular p

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brotherc will be liable to judgment; whoever insultsd his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” MT 5:21–22W

“Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed hi

Remember, God is a God of history. He did not finish writing the Bible and go AWOL. When the last book of the Bible was complete, God did not turn into a cheerleader on the sidelines of history. He is still involved. You should expect that he hears your prayers and moves in time, accomplishing his will through you.But experience, like reason, can b

Make scripture reading relevant and funIf every time you whip out your Bible, it’s to give a corrective lecture, your teenager is not going to have good feelings about the Good Book. As mentioned before, use scripture to offer sincere comfort and encouragement to your teens.Also, share stories they may not have heard before. Some Bible stories are

1. Telling people "I'll pray for you" without actually praying for them.Guilty as charged. I can’t think of anybody who hasn’t done this at one time or another. And while most of us don’t actually mean to forget, it’s probably best that we just set aside time on the spot to pray for people. Are we really so busy that we can’t stop and pray for some

1. R. C. SproulOn December 14, 2017, the world lost a man who faithfully followed God's call and influenced the world for Christ in so many ways. Pastor, author, apologist, theologian, and founder of Ligonier Ministries, R. C. Sproul had been hospitalized for a serious respiratory condition and went home to be with the Lord at the age of 78. He inf

2. Instills in us a clearer understanding that we are creatures who are absolutely dependent upon our Creator. Though our sinful hearts crave omniscience and omnipotence, we possess neither, and waiting helps us to focus on that reality.3. Increases our faith. After all, does not the writer of Hebrews define faith as “the conviction of things hoped

Notes1. Martin Chemnitz, a follower of Martin Luther, described the incarnation in this way: “The Son of God in the fullness of time joined to Himself in a perpetual union which shall not be dissolved for all eternity, a human nature, true, completely, entire, of the same substance of ours, possessing a body and a rational soul which contain within

1. The 10 commandments were spoken to Moses three months after he led the Israelites out of Egypt.We can only imagine what the Israelites were going through, three months after they’d been led out of Egypt. Six hundred thousand men, besides women and children, had witnessed their miraculous deliverance from the hand of Pharaoh. Yet, within a few we