Raising Children to be Christians

Text: 3 John 4 Parents strive to “bring [children] up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). The ultimate goal is to lead them to the Lord. Parents may hope that their children enjoy good health and prosperity in this life. But in the end, what matters most is that their “soul prospers” […]

Renewed in the Spirit of Your Mind

Text: Ephesians 4:17-24 Christians are to be different from the world – not just in our actions, but also in the way we think. Paul outlines the contrast in this passage. This is a Divine Calling “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord” (v. 17) – not one man’s opinion; the inspired […]

Our Bodies as Instruments of Righteousness

Text: Romans 6:12-14 Our bodies can be used one of two ways – either for God or for sin. We are to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1). Our bodies are “for the Lord” (1 Corinthians 6:13) – a temple of the Spirit in which we are to glorify God (1 […]

Lessons from the Conversion of Apollos

Text: Acts 18:24-28 There are several accounts of conversion in the book of Acts. This lesson will focus on the conversion of Apollos. [For more of an explanation why this is an example of conversion, and not correcting an erring brother, refer to the article: Lessons from the Conversion of Apollos.] There are some important lessons for […]

Reasons to Rejoice

Text: Philippians 4:4 Why does Paul tell the brethren in Philippi to rejoice? It is easy to be distracted by the negative things in this life (Job 14:1), which are a threat to our spiritual wellbeing (Luke 8:14). We may suffer pain, endure hardship and loss, be persecuted, etc. We may not always be happy, […]

The Importance of Faith

Text: Hebrews 11:1,6 Faith includes assurance, conviction, and a trust in God (Hebrews 11:1,6). Faith is the determination to obey the Lord (Romans 1:5; 16:26). Faith is not bestowed upon us miraculously, but comes from the word (Romans 10:17). But why does this matter? What is the point of believing, trusting, and obeying God? There […]

The Lord’s Words to Peter

Text: John 21:15-23 In this passage, Jesus spoke directly to Peter about his responsibility and his future. Even though this was specifically given to this apostle, there are lessons for us to learn from it. “Do You Love Me?” Jesus asked this question three times in a row (John 21:15-17) – He was demanding a […]