Text: Romans 5:1-11 In our text, Paul used the word exult three times (NASB). The KJV used the words rejoice, glory, and joy in its place. The word means to boast about something. Usually we think of boasting as something that we shouldn’t do as Christians, but it depends on what we are boasting in (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:31). We can and […]
October 19, 2020
The Divinely-Given Role of Civil Government
Text: Romans 13:1-4 This is a topic that many shy away from in Biblical discussions. The pulpit is certainly not the place for political speeches. It would be inappropriate to endorse any candidate/party. However, the New Testament does address government; therefore, we ought to address it. God has given a particular role to civil authorities. We need to understand […]
October 12, 2020
Be Ready
Text: Luke 12:35-40 We spend our lives getting ready for what is coming in the future. This includes getting ready and being ready for certain things that are of a spiritual nature. To be ready, we must (1) know what needs to be done, (2) prepare ourselves to do what needs to be done, and (3) […]
October 5, 2020
Balaam and the Donkey
Text: Numbers 22:15-35 Balaam is mentioned three times in the New Testament. Each time false teachers were likened to him – motivated by greed (2 Peter 2:15; Jude 11) and led God’s people astray (Revelation 2:14). The most memorable incident in his life was his argument with a talking donkey (Numbers 22:21-31). His character was on display […]
September 28, 2020
The Christian and Minimalism
Text: Colossians 2:8 When Paul wrote to the Colossians, he warned about human philosophy leading us away from Christ. Today, many promote the philosophy of minimalism. Some concepts in this philosophy will be appealing to many, even if they don’t embrace it in its entirety. What is minimalism? What place, if any, does it have […]
September 21, 2020
Judging and Being Judged
Text: Matthew 7:1-5 Our society, as a whole, has rejected the idea that we can identify anyone’s chosen behavior as wrong. This has led to numerous practices being accepted that were once largely looked down upon. Now, the only thing that is condemned by many is the “intolerance” and “bigotry” that identifies sin as sin. However, […]
September 14, 2020
Testing for Leprosy
Text: Leviticus 13:1-3 The law of Moses contained several tests to determine if one was infected with leprosy (Leviticus 13). This was a dangerous and contagious disease that would eat away at their body and spread to others. It needed to be detected, properly diagnosed, isolated, and (hopefully) cured. We can draw a parallel between this and […]
