I read an article on the website churchleaders.com(1) with this same title and I wanted to share some of the main ideas with you. You can follow the link below for the full article. Continue reading “5 Dangers of Missing Church.”
This is the last book of the Old Testament and it is a great one. I have spent the last week studying and reading this little book and it was not a waste of time. As I studied and meditated on this book, it became clear that God was calling His people back to Himself and back to genuine faith. Continue reading “Malachi”
Thanksgiving is a great holiday. It is great for many reasons although I have to admit that I am still grateful for the food. Most of all, I am grateful for the time with family. However, I am still grateful for leftovers that will last for days. Despite our fondness of food, Thanksgiving has to be more than food. Continue reading “What are you thankful for?”
In the mid-1800’s, a young Irishman named Joseph Scriven was engaged to be married to a young lady. On the day before the wedding, he rode out to meet his fiancé at a river. Upon arriving, he was devastated to learn that her horse had been startled and thrown her into the water, where she drowned. He said later, “The bottom of my world seemed to disappear.” He turned to God and leaned upon him for strength. Continue reading “What a Friend!”
The name “Amos” literally means “burden bearer” and it speaks to how he felt about his message and its content. Continue reading “Amos and genuine religion.”
The story of Job is familiar to most of us. Even those who are not Christians have heard about Job and his story of loss and pain. We, as Christians, have likely read it numerous times, heard Bible classes and sermons about it, and yet, I would contend that there are not many today who truly understand the bigger point of this story. Continue reading “Job: a story about trusting God.”
The book of the Kings continues the story from the books of Samuel and is intended to be read as a continuous story. In the Hebrew Bible, the book of kings is a single book with a great message. Within its pages, we read about the death of King David, the reign and death of Solomon, the building of the Temple, and the eventual division of the kingdom. Continue reading “1 & 2 Kings A story about the consequences of unfaithfulness.”
The main thrust of the story of Second Samuel was covered in our last article on first Samuel. I didn’t realize that I had titled it wrong until I began preparing for today’s article. It should have read “1 & 2 Samuel: a story about the dangers of desire.”
Despite that, I still want to cover some things that I didn’t get to mention in our last article. I want to talk about a couple big lessons learned in Second Samuel. Every book contains great lessons to learn about God and about ourselves. Primarily the Bible is a story about God and how he was working in their lives. Second Samuel is no exception. Within its pages, we learn several powerful lessons about life and our God.
If Second Samuel teaches us anything, it teaches us that God is a faithful and merciful God.
Continue reading “Second Samuel: a story of faith, faithfulness, and failures.”
For most Christians, Joshua is a favorite book to read. Perhaps it’s because we have just finished the Pentateuch (5 books of law) and we’re excited to read something less dry. Maybe it’s because the book is an action-packed book filled with all kinds of battles.
Hopefully, each book we have covered so far has given us special insights into our God and his desire to draw us near to himself. Deuteronomy is no different. It recounts the history of the nation, its highs, and lows, to a new generation of Israelites who were not there to witness the miracles of God.
Up to this point, we have looked at Genesis through Leviticus. I hope each book has helped you learn something important about God and what he wants for you. Genesis is a book of beginnings: the beginnings of us, of sin, and just as importantly; the beginning of God’s love story with us. Exodus is a book of redemption: God redeems his people from sin and self; walks with them and moves heaven and earth for them. Leviticus is a book about relationships: God is a holy and just God who wants to have a personal relationship with his people. Leviticus details how we can approach God and have fellowship with him.
Continue reading “Numbers: a book about God’s faithfulness.”
Last week, we spoke about the book of Genesis and the many beginnings found in it. It is truly a book about the beginning of us and our struggle with sin. Yet, bigger and far more important. It is a book about God and His great love for us. It is the beginning of a love so grand and overwhelming that God sets into action a plan to save us from sin and self.
Today, I want us to consider the book of Exodus. Often read and rarely understood for its actual message about God. The theological implications of the book of Exodus are truly profound because they tell us amazing things about our God. They describe in great detail what he is willing to do for us and ultimately to instill a sense of worth in our own eyes. Continue reading “Exodus: A book of redemption.”
How many times have we heard someone say that? How many times have you asked that question yourself? Typically, the question is the result of someone saying or advocating a position on scripture that is different than our traditional understanding. I believe this is a good question and it gets to the heart of most sermons, bible classes, and bulletin articles. Continue reading “What is he trying to accomplish?”
Last week we started this article on becoming grace centered. I believe that this is a necessary and long overdue shift within the church. A move toward a gentler and more compassionate faith seems to be more in keeping with the heart of Jesus himself. Today we will continue with the second half.
In our series of articles, we are focused on basic principles that are needed to ensure the success of fellow Christians. Hopefully, we have made it clear that we need to emphasize the basics of the Christian life so that they have a better chance at success. We have emphasized that for the new Christian a drastic change has taken place. This change is so different from the life they are accustomed to living that it takes a while to adapt to this new life. In our previous article, we talked about the race set before us and how to win the prize. Continue reading “Many begin but not many finish.”
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