Every facet of your life requires authority to exist and then for authority to be recognized and respected. Whenever authority is not accepted and submitted to, chaos results. All of this is true for every part of your life, but especially in the realm of religion. It begins with an understanding that Jesus Christ has ALL authority (Matt. 28:18). We must “hear…
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Posts by David Sproule
One of the most intriguing statements in Scripture regarding Jesus is one that surrounds the time of the crucifixion. Sometimes we may think of the agony He experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane and think that He was unwilling or a coward or walking away. But read what the Hebrews writer revealed: “who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross”…
Would you say that the apostle Paul had a close relationship with God? It’s hard to draw any other conclusion. But, how close to God was he? He certainly believed in God (Act 27:25; 2 Tim. 1:12), prayed to God (2 Cor. 13:7; 2 Thess. 1:11) and trusted in God (2 Cor. 1:9; 1 Tim. 4:10). And he said those very words. But, I want you to…
In every facet of your life, it is essential to recognize and respect authority. (By the way, the downfall of our society has much to do with the failure to accept and apply this principle. But, that’s another article.) Authority. It’s the thing that everybody loves to hate, but it’s the thing that when it’s absent leads to utter chaos. Consider authority…
The easiest seat in the church? What do you think it is? It’s the “Monday Morning Church Member Seat.” It’s the seat that many members recline in on a Monday (or even Sunday afternoon), as they question, judge, deride and even laugh at decisions the elders make and actions they take. This chair is so easy, and sometimes it’s a big chair that can fit lots…
It is a wonder that some folks have not pulled a muscle (spiritually speaking) in all of the contortions that they have gone to in an effort to explain away what a Bible verse teaches. Philippians 2:12 is one of those verses. The verse begins with the word “Therefore.” Therefore what? “Therefore, my beloved,” based upon the exemplary humility of Jesus, which was expressed in His…
Paul finished his masterful dissertation on the church of the Christ, and he began to close the “doctrinal” section of his letter to the Ephesians before beginning the “practical section.” In this transition, he penned a prayer on behalf of his brethren, in which he made at least five distinct requests. The fourth desire in his list is that God “would grant”…
Sometimes a passage of Scripture is misused so much that, when we do study it, we see only how to answer the false teaching and we miss the beauty of the passage. Ephesians 1:4-5 is one example. The text does NOT teach unconditional election or a predestination of select ones to be saved and select ones to be damned. That would contradict the rest of…