John 21:1-17, I Peter 5:1-4 — A minister of the Gospel may have the requisite gifts but what will sustain him over the long term? How can he endure the hardship and the suffering that inevitably comes with the office? The key is his love for Christ. If a pastor loves Jesus he will persevere in preaching…
James 1:26-27 — “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” Many followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are uncomfortable with being called “religious.” Evangelical Christians tend to associate “religion” with works righteousness. It consists of performing…
I Timothy 1:14 — “And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” Paul went from blaspheming the name of Jesus to believing in the name of Jesus. He went from hating the followers of Jesus to loving them. How did this happen? It was because he…
Genesis 23 — Abraham lived for many years in the land of Canaan as a nomad. He moved from place to place with his household and his flocks. When Sarah died he decided to purchase some land in which to bury her. This land would become his family’s ancestral burial ground. The local lord of the…
Luke 9:51-56 — “But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” As Jesus made His way to Jerusalem there was a Samaritan village that refused to receive Him. In response to…
I Timothy 1:12-13 — “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious…” The elders in the church at Ephesus had lost their focus on the Gospel. They’d become enamoured with other subjects that were not…
Hebrews 2:14-15 — “He also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death…” As we continue our verse-by-verse study through the Book of Hebrews, we think about what the writer means when he says that Jesus “partook of flesh and blood.” We also think…
Luke 9:49-50 — “Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.” The disciples had tried to stop a man from doing ministry in Jesus’ name because he was not part of their group. Jesus rebuked the disciples and went on to tell them how they ought to think…
I Timothy 1:10b-11 — “…And if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.” How should we think about the moral Law given in the Old Testament and the teaching of the Apostles? How do we judge if the…
Exodus 14:1-14 — After delivering the Children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, the LORD led them into what appeared to be an impossible position. They were surrounded by the elite forces of Egypt with nowhere to go. As we think about this story, the prelude to crossing the Red Sea, we learn about dealing…