Text: Acts 14:22 Paul and Barnabas encouraged the brethren to remain faithful to the Lord “through many tribulations” so they could reach the final reward of heaven. The kinds of tribulations that we may face could be unique to Christians or common to all people. Any of these tribulations could potentially derail our faith and […]
September 19, 2016
Exerting a Positive Influence
Text: Matthew 5:16 Unfortunately, there are sometimes good reasons why someone would be surprised to learn that another person is a Christian. Whatever those reasons are, it means that the Christian is not exerting a positive influence. This means that he is not in a position to credibly lead someone else to the truth. How can […]
February 29, 2016
A Blessed Life
Text: Matthew 5:3-12 In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave instructions for the life of a disciple. In our text, He described the life of a disciple as a blessed life. These verses are often referred to as the “beatitudes” because they describe those who are blessed. This means more than just being happy – they were […]
October 20, 2014
New Testament Teaching About Fasting
Text: Matthew 9:14-15 There are several passages in the Bible that talk about fasting. Many people have questions about the practice. The main question is, “Are Christians to fast today?” Fasting is a topic that is sometimes ignored or glossed over. But in this lesson, we want to consider what the New Testament teaches about […]
