“I want people to like me. I want people to say nice things about me. I want to be accepted and popular. I don’t want people to say disparaging things about me.” This thought process is common to all of us. But we should be careful. Jesus said, “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their…
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Posts by David Sproule (Page 136)
I’ve heard the expression hundreds of times, but very rarely is it ever used in a complimentary or favorable way. Most of the time, those who use this adage are intending it to be understood as a sign of derision for whatever is being practiced. “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, then you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always…
In Acts 2, Peter told individuals in Jerusalem, “Repent and be baptized…in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (2:38). But, then in Acts 8, Peter told someone else, “Repent…and pray to the Lord that…the intent of your heart may be forgiven you” (8:22). Now, which one is it? Is someone supposed to “repent and be baptized” in…
Have you ever seen something that was just so full that it could not help but overflow? Sometimes while pouring a soda, the glass can become so full that the soda overflows the side. Sometimes the same thing can happen with a bowl (or bag) of popcorn. Could the same thing happen with a person? Perhaps you’ve seen it. A person can…
While traveling recently, I was seated on a flight next to some very talkative ladies, who were particularly loud in their conversation. I was not eavesdropping on their conversation, as it might be perceived, for it was impossible for those in the seats and rows around them to not follow along in their high-volume chat. These two ladies had just met as…
In the middle of the night, Jesus saw that His disciples, who were several miles out into the stormy sea, were “straining at rowing” (Mark 6:48). Matthew uses the word “wind” three times in his paragraph about this event. First, he records that when Jesus saw His friends from a distance, “the wind was contrary” (Matt. 14:24). Second, when Peter got out…
In this day and age, it is so easy to be rude (and not think anything it). That seems to be the default demeanor and routine reaction of so many folks. Brother and sister in Christ, we cannot afford to fall into that pattern of behavior. In “The Love Chapter” of First Corinthians 13, Paul states that “love… does not behave rudely”…
One intriguing feature of living on our spherical planet are the various times zones in which all earthly inhabitants live. This is noticeable in the advertising of the starting time for television programs, and businesses deal with this when trying to operate globally. Times zones may not have a direct or daily impact on Christianity, but consider this for a moment. The…