What is Church? The church of Jesus needs to focus on three things and master them all In our normal usage, church is a building, a place we go to—often on Sunday mornings. I’ll be there later today. Other definitions for church include a...
Why We Shouldn’t Take God’s Grace for Granted We dishonor God by persisting in sin because we assume his grace will cover it A highschool friend heard about the doctrine of eternal security—which some people shorten to the more accessible mantra...
The Thirty-Seven Parables of Jesus Jesus uses narrative to inform us about his father’s kingdom Jesus uses parables—“an earthly story with a heavenly meaning,” as I learned in Sunday school—to teach us about the kingdom of God. We are part of the...
Should Paul’s Self-Description Inspire Our Faith Perspective? Paul’s letter to the Romans opens with three traits for us to ponder Paul begins his letter to the church in Rome by giving them an overview of his situation. He shares three...
Avoid Suffering Needlessly For Our Faith Religious persecution is real for many people, but some people needlessly bring opposition upon themselves In many parts of the world religious oppression is an everyday reality that affects adherents’...
There Are Two Sides to Every Story: Which Side Are You On? Gamaliel offers wise advice for whenever religious factions stand in opposition Paul’s in jail, imprisoned for doing what God told him to do. This isn’t Paul’s first incarceration for his...
Christians Should Consider the Entire Bible Many streams of Christianity include the books of the Apocrypha as part of their canon of scripture The book of Revelation ends with a severe threat to anyone who would add to it, that God will afflict...
Do You Know What Your Mission Is? How closely do you do the things God tells you to do? Paul travels to Ephesus to tell people about Jesus. As a Jew it seems logical that he would go to his own people first to share this good news. He does. He...
Why Did Jesus Use Parables and What Do They Tell Us? The Bible records Jesus’s parables to explain the kingdom of God Jesus talks a lot about the kingdom of God and hardly ever mentions church. This suggests church may be our idea and not his...
How to Deal with Religious Opposition Paul and Barnabas respond to hostile nonbelievers with boldness and perseverance In the Old Testament, the Israelites, God’s chosen people, are a set apart nation. They are to keep separate from the other...
