“Relationships 101” (From Philemon)
How does brotherly love really work? How does it work in situations of extraordinary tension and difficulty? The book of Philemon is a model of Christian friendship, of forgiveness, of both tact and diplomacy on one hand and of contact and straightforwardness on the other. Philemon is all about “the fine art of Christian relationships.” […]
Adding That Really Counts
Nothing is more important for God’s people than adding what really counts in life. To have seen Jesus was to see what the Father is like (John 14:7-9), and to see Christians should be to see the beauty and character of Jesus in us (Galatians 2:20; Colossians 1:27). There is something tremendously challenging and humbling […]
Things that Save: It’s a “Package Deal”
Few matters can be more important than what God’s word says about salvation. When one considers the richness of what the New Testament has to say about this theme, all a person can do is express awe and wonder at the matchless mind and marvelous provision of God! Who and what saves according to the […]
Stress and Young People
Although there is some disagreement among experts as to precisely why, there is an abundance of evidence which indicates young people are experiencing a seemingly unprecedented level of stress. Psychologist Daniel Keating noted: “Depression, anxiety, and feeling overwhelmed are not all the same thing, but they do share a common feature: experiencing a level of […]
You, Your Struggles, and God
It’s not a question of if we’ll struggle and suffer; it’s a matter of when. That may be a reality we recognize in our lives, but it can be an altogether different matter when actually facing those times. How can we face our struggles with faith and strength in the Lord? (cf. Ephesians 6:10). How […]
Going From Abstract to Concrete
John 11:25-26 must be among the most comforting passages in all the Bible! Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Of course, the context of these verses […]
What God’s People Really Need
Outside of the Lord Himself, it seems no one instructs us more about how to pray for the church than the apostle Paul. We pray about things that are important and meaningful to us. And so does Paul in praying for the church. Thoughtful consideration should be given concerning what and how he prayed for […]
It’s Just a Month Until PTP!
Last year over 5000 people attended. People came from 41 states in the U.S. and from 15 foreign countries. There were 1200 kids present between the ages of infant and 12. There were about 450 teens and 200 more college-age people who came. There were hundreds of elders, deacons, preachers and Bible Class teachers who […]
God-Centered Parenting
There is only one perfect parent – God, and the rest of us have an awful lot to learn, don’t we?
Keeping God In Godliness
It is significant that 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus give special stress to godliness. As a matter of fact, the vast majority of the New Testament occurrences of the word is to be found in these books. The noun “godliness” is found ten times while the adverb “godly” occurs twice. “Godliness” has reference to […]