Text: Acts 19:20 When Paul came to Ephesus, he quickly converted twelve men (Acts 19:1-7). In three years (Acts 20:31), the gospel grew mightily (Acts 19:20) and the church went from just twelve men to “a considerable number” (Acts 19:26). There are challenges that come with being part of a smaller congregation. But we can […]
April 28, 2014
“O Lord, Take My Life”
Text: 1 Kings 19:1-4 Elijah prayed to God, requesting that the Lord take his life. This was not a matter of depression (suicide), but a feeling of being worn out in his service to God. He prayed for relief – that his task on earth might be done. There may be times when we feel […]
April 7, 2014
Take Up Your Cross
Text: Luke 9:23 Jesus says we must take up our cross if we are to be His disciple. But how do we do this? Obviously, it involves sacrifice and a willingness to give one’s life. But to see what is demanded of us, it is helpful for us to look at what Jesus endured with […]
March 3, 2014
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, […]
January 27, 2014
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 […]
November 4, 2013
“The Lord Stood With Me”
Text: 2 Timothy 4:16-18 As Paul tells of his experience in making a defense of the truth, he warns Timothy (and us) what to be prepared for and to keep his trust in the Lord. “At My First Defense” Denoting this as the “first” defense implies that there were others Our stand for the truth […]
