“Example”, “Follow in his steps”, “Imitate” — We are told time and again that a follower of Jesus will live as he did. To truly follow Christ is to follow his example and imitate his life.“Keep his commandments”, “Be holy” — A follower of Jesus will pursue a holy and righteous life. We won’t get it right one hundred percent of the time because we a

God Doesn't Justify Our Sin, He RedeemsGod’s not after perfection, but surely isn’t justifying our sin either. That’s why we need Jesus for salvation. Don’t put it past Him to work a miracle through a fallen situation; to restore life to a dead place, or to save a heart that the rest of us deem unworthy and less than. “Perhaps the reason he was sep

How to Explain Jesus to a Non-Believer 1. Pray for WisdomIt’s been said, “Before you talk to people about God, talk to God about people.” That’s sound advice. The Holy Spirit gives us insight about what to share with unbelievers, and how to share it. The Holy Spirit also illuminates the mind of unbelievers so they are able to grasp the reality of C

How Is Marriage Defined in the Bible?Marriage Is Instituted by GodIn Genesis 2, after God created Adam, He declared that it was not good for man to be alone, and that no other creature was a suitable partner for Adam. God created the perfect mate and helper for Adam; her name was Eve. God put these two together, the first man and woman, made for on

Following Christ is costly. Or it should be if we believe and obey God’s Word. It means caring about the most vulnerable in society, living a life of repentance, obedience and sacrifice, and fully surrendering and depending on the Lord. Can we honestly say that we live like this? We need Jesus daily in the ongoing fight against sin and we need His

Chapter 1 announces the central proposition from which successive narrative milestones flow. Luke is saying that the acts of the apostles and disciples are the supernatural fulfillment of the promise and plan of the risen Christ:“And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of t

1. Psalm 18 Key Verses: 1-2 “I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”Written by David, this Psalm showers praise on the Lord for protecting and defending His servant through strife. The Psalmist calls God “r

Can We Really Pray without Ever Stopping? In the Bible, there are many kinds of prayers demonstrated. In your own life, you may also be accustomed to saying a variety of prayers. The verses and prayers that we read throughout Scripture can become the prayers we use in our time with God. Below are several examples of different prayers throughout th

Bringing it Back to BasicsIn John 13:34, Jesus instructs his disciples saying, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.”This teaching of love is reiterated by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13, concerning al

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation …All believers are welcomed into a shared salvation before God, having been given the same truths to know and love. No matter the time or place, when I meet fellow believers, I have dear fellowship with them through our faith. As Paul writes of those who have been welcome

Dr. Pettingill concludes that in heaven, we will know every person in heaven, and all of them will be friends and loved ones to us.In his very helpful book on heaven, W.A. Criswell makes the additional point that individual personality survives into eternity. I'll be the same person then that I am now-only with all the imperfections and limitations

1. Open and Point Method: Who among us hasn’t done this? Sometimes we are desperate to hear from God, and since we know He speaks through His word, we open the Bible and point to a verse. There have been times in my life I have done this and have been amazed at what the Lord showed me and how He met my need. But a certain time in particular stands

Too many times we try to do things in our own strength and we burn out. We can tire easily and isolate ourselves from others and God. Prayer is a necessity to keep us from temptation. Jesus tells His disciples to pray. "Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, 'Pray that

“In my trouble I cried to the Lord, and He answered me” (Psalm 120:1).How Do We Develop the Priority of Secret Prayer?Prayer and the Word of God are meant to be enjoyed together. God speaks through His Word, as the Spirit of God enlightens our minds and hearts to understand it (Psalm 19:8, Ephesians 1:18). Think of God’s Word as a conversatio

5. His Consciousness of His Pre-existenceSome may argue that Jesus may have been the Son of God, but not one with the Father, one-third of the triune God, not fully God and fully man, which is what Christianity asserts. However, the Lord Jesus states at several points that He had a relationship and a nature that pre-existed His birth.The Lord Jesus

3. He Loves YouJohn 15:13 declares “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” We also see in Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Because God has poured out such extreme love for you and I, because he has gone to such great lengths to disp

What Does the Bible Say about James? Young SkepticIn John 7:1-4, Jesus’ brothers mock Him. Verse 5 tells us the reason, “For even his own brothers did not believe in him.” This is toward the end of Jesus’ ministry, likely about six months before His Crucifixion. This is after Jesus healed a man who had been disabled for 38 years, (John 5:2-9) fed 5

What Does 'Transfiguration' Mean? A transfiguration is when something changes in a very notable way, usually from a lowly state into a much greater state. Of the passages that discuss the Transfiguration event, two of them (Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:2) use the Koine Greek word “metamorphoo” which means to change from one form into another. It is wher

"We are so wonderfully made, that our organization infinitely surpasses, in skill, contrivance, design, an adaptation of means to ends, the most curious and complicated piece of mechanism, not only ever executed by art and man’s device, but ever conceived by the human imagination."Isaac Watts, in the same commentary, adds: "Our life contains a tho

1. Help Your Team See the Impact They Are Making You may be surprised to know that the number one thing volunteers need to feel valued is to see that they’re making a real difference.They need to be assured of what they’re accomplishing for the kingdom of God every time they serve. This is so much more than a quick, “Susie, you’re making a big diff