Jeremiah 5:1-9 — When God commissioned Jeremiah to proclaim His Word, Judah was in a terrible spiritual condition. Community life was characterised by just about every form of sin. The prophets, who were supposed to speak for God, were telling lies and giving people false comfort. Why had things gotten so bad? Ultimately, it was because…
Colossians 2:23 — Counterfeit and worthless. This was Paul’s final assessment of the religious practices that had come into the churches at Colossae and Laodicea. They had the appearance of wisdom but were powerless to effect spiritual progress. These practices were man-made and simply efforts to control the flesh by means of the flesh.
Luke 5:33-35 — In these verses Luke records an interaction that Jesus had with some disciples of John the Baptist. The existence of these disciples at this point in Jesus’ ministry is curious. Why were these people still following John? These disciples had a question for Jesus concerning fasting. The content of this question plus…
Luke 5:27-32 — Levi was a tax collector and that meant he was despised. Tax collectors grew rich by collaborating with the Jewish people’s enemies. Often they were mentioned in the same breath as the “sinners,” that is, they were grouped with men and women who were notorious for their wicked lifestyles. So in this text…
Colossians 2:20-22 — Under the influence of false teachers, the Colossians had brought elements of the pagan worldview into their Christian lives. Paul addressed this by reminding them of their union with Christ and challenging them about their submission to man-made rules. We too can adopt pagan ways of thinking in our approach to the Christian…
Proverbs 3:13-18 — Wisdom can buy what money can’t. That’s what the Holy Spirit through Solomon’s pen teaches us in this text. It’s only when we live by God’s wisdom that life works. But far more importantly, God’s wisdom is that which leads to everlasting life. We can enjoy a wonderful life now, but what about eternity?
Luke 5:17-26 — This text tells the much loved story of the paralysed man who was let down through the roof by his friends. They were confident that Jesus could heal their sick friend and that’s exactly what He did! There are many wonderful lessons that might be drawn from this story, but the real…
Proverbs 3:13-18 — What is true happiness and how do we find it? These are some of life’s most important questions and the world doesn’t really have an answer. We live in communities filled with people who, though outwardly cheerful, are deeply unhappy. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit through Solomon’s pen tells us plainly in this…
I Peter 1:22-25 — This lesson begins with a detailed overview of the theology and worship of the Orthodox Church with particular emphasis on the role that icons play. The sad reality is that by its use of icons and other external forms, the Orthodox Church has diminished the role of Scripture. In considering all…
Luke 5:12-15 — In Jesus’ day, leprosy was not only a painful disease it was a shameful disease to be afflicted with. The sufferer was ceremonially unclean and forced to live outside the city. He had to deal with the stigma of his illness and the emotional toll of being isolated from community life. In this…