I wonder if you can remember the first time you picked up the Old Testament and tried to read it? One thing you probably noticed right away is that it is really long. They say, 77.2 percent of the Bible is the Old Testament. And ten percent of the New Testament is the Old Testament…

It may be difficult to find ways to help those who are suffering physically while making a priority out of the gospel and planting churches but it is possible. William Carey did. He gave his life for the spread of the gospel. In fact, Carey did so much that many call him the ‘father of modern missions.’..

People have the problems they have right now for a number of different reasons. One reason they have problems is because they have been sinned against. They have problems because they are living in a world that has been deeply impacted by man’s rebellion against God…

While we won’t always know what to do when confronted with suffering, as Christians, clearly we will want to do something. When we begin to help however, we often discover that the problems people face are bigger than we thought and that providing solutions is more complicated than we imagined…

It's possible to know what Jesus did on the cross and even teach about what Jesus did on the cross without really appreciating the implications of that for the way you attempt to serve God…

We are all about the cross.Or are we?I am afraid that sometimes we fail to apply the way God worked through the cross to our lives as believers. The disciples in Luke certainly did. In Luke 9, Jesus shows several symptoms someone is forgetting about the cross…

One problem with the way we approach life is we often leave the cross out. In other words, we think about life without applying what Jesus' dying on the cross tells us about God and how God’s working in this world. We act like what Martin Luther called “theologians of glory”…

Getting Started: It may seem somewhat awkward to talk about this issue, but it is very important we do look at what the Bible teaches regarding sexual intimacy. Can you think of any reasons we should discuss this in a biblically appropriate way as a church…

It seems so ordinary.Get in your car. Gather with a big group. Sing some songs. Listen to someone talk. Spend time with other people.Week after week after week.Why is gathering as a church so important…

Christians get together. Over and over and over and over again.Week after week we meet as a church. Why? We are looking at Hebrews 10 and we’ve seen that one reason has to do with God. A second reason for our gathering together is found in verse 23, and it has to do with you…

We are to get together as a church on a regular basis.But what for?After reminding us why we gather in chapter 10, verses 19 through 21, the writer of Hebrews, draws out three implications for our life together as a church in verses 22 through 25…

The church gathers.We get together week after week. That seems obvious. But, why? Why is gathering as a church so important? It’s a command. We see that in Hebrews 10:19-25. But, it’s not just a command…

It would be strange to be asked to be part of a group and not have anyone tell you exactly why or what was expected of you once you joined. It certainly wouldn’t be fair, for example, if you were hired for a certain job with specific responsibilities and yet your employer never told you what those responsibilities were…

If we are going to understand the Old Testament, there are a couple of key words we have to understand first.One is kingdom.Another is covenant.The Old Testament tells the story of how God is going to establish His kingdom, and it tells that story, through a series of covenants God makes with men…

We are looking at the Old Testament.What is the Old Testament about?Obviously you know the Bible is divided into two parts.The Old and New Testament. It wasn’t always called that, by the way, the Old and New Testament. Those were names given to them, I think, around the third century a.d…

Favoritism is a serious sin.Why?One reason according to James is because when you show favoritism, 'you become judges with evil motives.'In other words, when you show favoritism you are setting yourself up in God's place as a judge…

We’ve seen James condemns favoritism in James 2.But what does favoritism look like?He illustrates.Picture this scene in your minds. The church has gathered together. They've come to worship…

Ever had a rude awakening? I have nine children, so I have had plenty. Honestly, probably more of them, have been cute awakenings, actually. Like the time, I awoke to my two year old daughter singing, I may never march in the infantry…

Is your religion real? In James 1:26 and 27, we are given three tests. 1.) The way we speak. 2.) The way we relate to the vulnerable.And 3.) The way we relate to the world. Are we worldly? Over the past couple of posts we have been defining worldliness and thinking a little about why it is dangerous…

Worldliness is dangerous because it stains us. James says true religion is to 'keep oneself unstained by the world.'In other words, if you are not actively keeping yourself, you are going to be stained by the world…