Good deeds and right living don’t earn our salvation, but they do confirm it Paul writes to his friends in Thessalonica. He reminds them—and us—that salvation is a gift from God. We can’t earn it and can only receive it through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). But it seems that many people do try to earn their […]
Church Attendance May Relate to Faith or the Two May Have No Connection On a broader scope, I keep hearing reports that Millennials (or some other demographic) have turned from God and left their faith. What is the reason for this conclusion? It’s simple. They’ve dropped out and no longer go to church. Ergo they […]
The Book of Hebrews Tells Us How to React to What God Has Done For Us An interesting passage in Hebrews opens with a reminder of who we are in Jesus and through Jesus (Hebrews 10:23-25). With this as our perspective, the author tells us four things we should do in response. Let Us Pursue […]
The List of Faith Essentials Is Short, a List of Only One Item Two thousand years ago the religious leaders, called Pharisees, heap a bunch of manmade requirements on the backs of the people so they can be right with God. Some scholars place the number at over 22,000 regulations, far more than the 613 […]
Some People Needlessly Bring Opposition Upon Themselves In many parts of the world religious oppression is an everyday reality that affects adherents’ ability to move about freely, earn an income, and purchase life’s necessities. A deep religious hatred limits the daily freedom for some people of faith. Their unwavering devotion to what they believe only […]
Paul Sends Timothy to Check on the Church in Thessalonica The missionary Paul and his crew wonder how things are going with the church they started in the city of Thessalonica. He can’t send them an email, follow them on social media, or give them a call. His only option is to dispatch someone to […]
Elisha Seems to Allow an Alternative to Taking a Life-Threatening Stand for God I love the story of Naaman in the Bible. He commands the enemy army, conducts raids into Israel, and even has a Hebrew girl as a slave. It’s this girl, full of faith and void of resentment, who suggests Naaman go to […]
We Must Trust that God Always Has Our Best Interest in Mind Regardless of What Happens I recently prayed for a friend who was interviewing for a job. I have prayed for her interviews many times in the past only to not receive the answer we wanted. Sometimes she was summarily removed from consideration at […]
Emulate the Man Who Drove Merchants from the Temple and Denounced Hypocrisy When I blogged about the need for a male role model, I wondered if the life of Jesus might stand as an example for men to follow. Is he the perfect blend of godly power and God-intended masculinity? Indeed the character and actions […]
God first comes to Abraham when he is still known as Abram. God tells him to leave all he knows and to go—somewhere—to a place God will later show him. The final destination is apparently on a need-to-know basis and Abram doesn’t need to know. If it were me, I’d want some details. Where are […]