On Wednesday evenings, we’ve been covering the Gospels in Chronological Order and we’re now examining the things the Lord says to the disciples after they leave the Upper Room and walk down that dark road toward the Garden of Gethsemane. He tells them how He’s the true vine and they must abide in Him. He... Continue Reading →
Last Sunday, we were studying Eph. 4:16 – “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” We’re not going to deep-dive the whole verse,... Continue Reading →
7 Biblical Warnings about Speech. 1. The Tongue Is Difficult to Control. James gives one of the most sobering passages about the tongue in the Bible. He says in James 3:8, “The tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” What does James mean when he says no man... Continue Reading →
Walk into any bookstore, Christian or secular, and you are bound to find hundreds of titles dealing with the topic of marriage. Whatever your difficulty in marriage, you are bound to find the perfect solution to it in one of the books. This type of reasoning is the very reason there is so much marital strife in the world... Continue Reading →
“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” Ephesians 5:1-2 uses the term “therefore” indicating a conclusion given so far in this letter and relays how to... Continue Reading →
In Pastor Hal’s message on Sunday, I loved the discussion about “another Jesus” in 2 Corinthians 11:4. He made the point that this not about a different name but about a different identity, mission, and message being attached to the name Jesus. He said, “Can I preach Jesus out of the Bible and preach a... Continue Reading →
Ephesians 5:1-21 provides general admonitions and warnings to us on how to walk out (apply) sound doctrine given so far in Romans-Ephesians 4. What would it look like? We would be “followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love.” (Eph. 5:1) This section is a mix of instructions and warnings. Let us take... Continue Reading →
Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. For most of my Christian life, I was bothered by this phrase, “led captivity captive.” What does this mean? Most of Christianity and even a few in grace circles would teach that this means the... Continue Reading →
“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” (Eph 4:7) Let’s try to exegete this passage expression-by-expression. “But unto every one of us.” I’d say this is a contrast to the “seven ones” that preceded it. We shift from one body, one Spirit, one hope,... Continue Reading →
Immediately after the instruction to “walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,” Paul relays ‘how’ it is to be done. “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” (Eph. 4:7) Many may wonder what this “grace” is exactly. It is to be our... Continue Reading →
Many can tend to dismiss Romans 7 being unto the Body, to be doctrine to Israel. Why? Romans 7:1 says, “Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law.) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?” Below see why Romans 7 is highly important... Continue Reading →
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Eph. 4:1) Here’s a monumental point to be made about this verse: A worthy walk is fundamentally one that embodies the values found in the Gospel that called you to salvation. Paul's arguing that the... Continue Reading →
Hello, saints! 3 different musings today. Grace & Bass As many of you know, Laurie and I have been diving head-first into the world of AI-assisted music to create new grace-filled songs. And listen—I totally get the reservations. Nothing will ever replace real musicians with real talent, and we’d never pretend otherwise. They deserve preference... Continue Reading →
On yesterday’s podcast, Pastor Hal and I had a conversation about the Christian news articles that came out recently proclaiming the death of Mariology in the Catholic Church. CBN said, Pope Leo Declares Jesus Alone Saved the World, Rejects Title of Mary as 'Co-Redeemer'. One Christian writer asked, Is the Vatican Discouraging Marian Devotion? Evangelical... Continue Reading →
1. What is the spiritual state of the Church at Ephesus? The Ephesians were built up saints, who understood foundational doctrine. So, Paul writes an epistle to progress them further in eternal things to stand confident. Ephesians 1 reminds this Church of the abundance of things God has provided ‘in Christ.’ Paul’s prays in Ephesians... Continue Reading →
1. What does Scripture teach about women working outside the home? Generally, we are not given instructions about all situations or problems we encounter, as was Israel under the law. Paul provides general guidelines to guide us. At times, Paul gives his judgment on marriage using general principles he learned, which becomes the Word. (I... Continue Reading →
How did Paul handle those times of life that were full of suffering and tribulation? I thought we’d approach this topic from two perspectives: 1) what Paul understood before he went through suffering and 2) how Paul handled suffering. Let’s look at the first perspective: What Paul Understood Going into Suffering He knew sufferings were... Continue Reading →
Here is something the Lord told the disciples at the beginning of His Olivet Discourse: “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one... Continue Reading →
And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. - Galatians 6:16 The word "Israel" is found 2,576 times in the King James Bible. Of the 2,576 times mentioned, all 2,576 times it refers to physical Israel, or the literal person named Israel,... Continue Reading →
Here’s something interesting to consider from our sermon Sunday. Compare and contrast how Paul treated believers before and after his conversion. Paul’s Treatment of Believers Before His Conversion: Persecuted the Church of God - He said in Phil. 3:6, “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church…” In Gal. 1:13, he said, “…beyond measure I persecuted the church... Continue Reading →
SUPPLY OF GRACE 