Sunday Teaching: Nehemiah 11-12—God Renews His People With Joyful Dedication
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Archival Post: Liberties, Convictions & Love (Part 1)
Liberties, Convictions & Love (Part 1)
Archival Post
Viktor lived with us for a few months when I was 16. From Indonesia, the rumor was his father named him after the brand name of a reel to reel projector he’d used to show the Jesus Film in rural outreaches. Like his father, Viktor became a lover of Christ. As a growing Christian, he came to the states to study the Bible. Through the connections of our fathers, he would stay with us for a few months before his studies began.
Read moreJesus Famous Men #1: They Love God Because He First Loved Them
The first question we should ask is this: why study? Why take time out of our busy lives to think about, meditate on, contemplate, and digest a study of God's word? The answer is in the question.
Read moreNehemiah 5—God Renews His People By Confronting Us
Sunday Sermon: Nehemiah 5—God Renews His People By Confronting Us
Read more20 Practices That Will Help You Serve Jesus for a Long Time
20 Practices That Will Help You Serve Jesus for a Long Time
In this article, I want to consider 20 practices that will help you serve Jesus for a long time -- and I think I mean "a long time in one place." (9 Minutes/2000 Words)
Read moreArchival Post: The Kingdom Is Received With Childlike Faith
The Kingdom Is Received With Childlike Faith
Archival Post
Jesus wasn't saying that you will get the kingdom if you are sweet enough, joyful enough, or innocent enough. He wasn't preaching works-based righteousness in any way. Instead, Jesus was making a comparison. Some people receive the kingdom. They receive it because they receive things like children receive things. The keyword is "receive." How do children receive things?
Read moreThe Life of David: Loving Your Enemies (1 Samuel 24)
The Life of David Loving Your Enemies
(1 Samuel 24)
Jesus taught hard, radical things. During his sermon on the mount, he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’” (Matthew 5:43). It seems that, by the time of Christ, the religious leaders had taken the Old Testament command to ‘love your neighbor’ to mean one should also hate their enemy. Their teaching was, of course, a perversion of God’s word. Jesus corrected, and then addended their teaching. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). (15 Minutes, 4000 Words)
Read moreArchival Post: The Unfortunate and Ugly Move From Spirit to Flesh
The Unfortunate and Ugly Move From Spirit to Flesh
Archival Post
The Lord wants to move his people forward, upward, onward. He has a plan for each one of you. Recently, I've seen this in a fresh way in my own life. The fruit of the Spirit is love -- and there are many outworkings of that love. I believe the Spirit wants to produce heightened joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in me. And in you. He wants to move us forward, to take us further into the work and fruit of his Spirit.
Read moreWhat Assurance Produces - A Fitting Conclusion (1 John 5:21)
What Assurance Produces - A Fitting Conclusion
(1 John 5:21)
John has warned throughout his whole letter of the danger of following the spirit of the antichrist. He's told us Jesus is God the Son who came in the flesh, died in the flesh, and rose in the flesh. He is the true God and shows us the way to the true God. (2 Minutes/400 Words)
Read moreA Vision for Marriage
A Vision for Marriage
Churches should have a vision of what their communities could look like if impacted by Christ. Various facets of life are all driven forward by having a strong vision. Militaries, families, sports teams, enterprises, research -- all of it is propelled by vision. It makes sense, then, that married couples should have a vision for marriage. Too much is at stake. (15 Minutes/3700 Words)
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