Some preachers think they are “all that.” They think the church revolves around them. They think they are the master of the sermon preparation and delivery. They think they should be invited to speak in other congregations and on lectureships. They arrive at those places as if they are a celebrity and expect wonderful accolades and royal treatment. Perhaps (again, perhaps) if…
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Posts by David Sproule (Page 50)
Paul used the word “mirror” twice in his writings. Can you think of where those are? First, he taught that before the New Testament was completed and while the early Christians were relying on prophets and inspired men to teach them God’s will, those Christians were actually only able to “see in a mirror, dimly” (1 Cor. 13:12), for they did not have the…
Paul was dealing with matters pertaining to the church and especially to the assemblies of the church in First Corinthians chapters twelve through fourteen, but there are some principles therein that we must apply in other parts of our lives. Paul begins “The Love Chapter” (1 Cor. 13) by emphasizing the absolute necessity of agape love. Think about this for a moment. In verse…
There are some verses that are taken out of context more than others. In fact, there are some verses that are so often quoted that people know the verse (and can almost quote it themselves), but neither the quoter nor the hearers realize that the verse is not being used in the context in which it was written. First Corinthians 2:9 is…
Stephen stood before the 71 members of the Jewish Sanhedrin, after having lies stirred up about his preaching (Acts 6:10-14). Upon hearing Stephen’s sharply pointed sermon directed at them, these Jewish supreme court justices “cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him” (6:57-58). The next…
Has someone ever asked you why you are part of the church that you are? There are surely many reasons that someone could offer (and often, very personal reasons) to that kind of question, but can I ask you to think about something? If someone asked you the reason you are part of your church, could you answer, “Because it’s the one you read…
While some have suggested over the years that the Bible is hard to understand, perhaps we should see what the Bible has to say about that. Luke wrote about the life of Christ to a man named Theophilus so that he “may know the certainty of those things in which [he was] instructed” (1:4). Jesus Himself said, “You shall know the truth”…
Jesus and the apostle Peter had a necessary and even therapeutic conversation in John 21. Peter had vehemently denied Jesus three times while his Savior and Friend stood on trial. So, in this conversation, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love Me?” (21:15-17). Much is often made about the fact that Jesus used two different Greek words in asking Peter of his love. However, let’s…