A Tax Collector and a Zealot

Text: Matthew 10:2-4 When Jesus sent out the twelve apostles on the “limited commission,” Matthew recorded their names. Aside from Judas who would betray Him, this record only provides us with information about previous activities for two men – Matthew the tax collector and Simon the Zealot. As we examine the differences between these two […]

How to Handle the Trials of Life

Text: Philippians 4:13 Everyone faces trouble in life. How can we handle the trials in life that we encounter? Paul had trouble in his life. He knew he could do all things – including handling the trials of life – through Christ (Philippians 4:13). We must handle the trials of life in the same way. […]

Faith on Man’s Terms

Text: Hebrews 11:6 The Scriptures are clear in describing faith as essential. Yet too many have a conditional faith. Though our faith should be based upon the word of God (Romans 10:17), this is not enough for some. They will not believe unless they see, receive, or otherwise experience something beyond His revealed will. This […]

“A Dog Returns to Its Own Vomit”

Text: 2 Peter 2:18-22 Peter wrote this epistle in order to remind these brethren of some things before he departed (1:12-15). One of his warnings was about the threat of false teachers (2:1-2). There was a real danger that these Christians could fall away; he wanted them to be prepared. We need to heed his […]

“The Poor Have the Gospel Preached to Them”

Text: Matthew 11:2-5 The common perception in the world is that churches are charitable organizations designed to help the poor. Denominational churches spend much time, energy, and money helping the poor. Those who are in need (or claim to be) often visit churches seeking a handout. In this lesson, we will consider what the Bible […]

The Fall of Babylon

Text: Revelation 18 The U.S. is becoming more of an immoral & godless country. Some have speculated that we are moving closer to the time when God will bring about this nation’s downfall. While we may be moving toward a downfall (Proverbs 14:34), we need to be careful about speculating too much about what God […]

Lessons from the Prodigal Son

Text: Luke 15:11-32 Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son is one of His more well-known parables. There are several lessons we can learn from it – both from the prodigal son and his brother. This lesson examines a few of these lessons. Impatience The younger son demanded his share of the inheritance early (Luke 15:11-12) […]