Colossians 3:9b-10 — Why is a Christian capable of saying “no” to sin? Why should they? It’s because a decisive change has taken place. The “old man” has been put off and the “new man” put on. That’s what the Apostle Paul tells us in these verses and it’s very good news! But what exactly is he…
Psalm 42 — Christians are not immune to seasons of discouragement and despondency. These are part of the human condition. Thankfully, God tells us how we can endure these seasons without losing all hope. Instead of listening to ourselves we need to start talking to ourselves. We need to do what the Psalmist does in this…
Luke 6:27-36 — “Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, bless them that curse you…” These are among the hardest commands that Jesus ever gave. Our natural inclination is to treat our enemies the way they treat us, but Jesus tells us to do the very opposite! He also tells us why and…
Luke 16:19-31 — An increasing number of people who identify as Christians deny the existence of hell. From a human point of view this is understandable because hell, as it is described in Scripture, is horrific. However, if we affirm the inspiration and authority of Scripture this denial is indefensible. Jesus spoke often and He…
I Corinthians 15:20-23 — Easter Sunday A patient lies on the operating table. They’ve stopped breathing. Their heart has stopped beating. In desperation the doctor applies the defibrillator and after three or four shocks the patient is brought back to life. Was Jesus’ resurrection something like this? Was He simply revived? Was He the same…
Psalm 22:1, Matthew 27:46. Good Friday — If we do not know what hell is, we cannot truly understand and appreciate what Jesus endured on the cross. He experienced what every soul in hell experiences – the worst of which is the total absence of God’s presence.
John 12:12-19 — Palm Sunday. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee… riding upon an ass.” (Zechariah 9:9) We’ve all seen paintings of famous generals and kings riding magnificent horses, but why does this King choose a donkey? What does it tell us about Him and why does it matter?
John 11:45-57, Mark 10:30-32 — Before Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem that marks the beginning of Passion Week, there was a final journey. Jesus left the peace and safety of Ephraim and set out for Jerusalem knowing full well what awaited Him when He arrived. There is one scene in this final journey, recorded by Mark,…
Ezra 9:1-2 — Sixty years had passed since the return from captivity in Babylon and sadly, God’s people had fallen into sin. There was widespread intermarriage with the pagan peoples that surrounded Judah and with these unlawful marriages came the practice of idolatry. As we consider this regrettable set of circumstances we find an important…
II Kings 3:4-15 — The kings of Israel, Judah and Edom were in big trouble. They had marched their armies for seven days into the wilderness and had run out of water. They were now ripe for defeat by the forces of Moab. In desperation, a prophet was called for and by God’s good providence…