The recipients of the letter to the Hebrews in our New Testament were struggling with doubt—doubting that the choice they had made to follow Christ was the right thing to do. Thus, the writer repeatedly encouraged them to hang on to their “confidence.” He emphasized “the beginning” of their “confidence” (Heb. 3:14). They were converted to Christ because they were absolutely convinced of the…
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Let's Go Back to the Bible
Posts by David Sproule (Page 69)
The word “treasure” is found 22 times in the New Testament and Jesus spoke nearly 75% of those occurrences. Jesus wanted us to focus on where we place our treasures—in other words, what do we treasure? He specifically instructed to stop laying up for ourselves “treasures on earth” (Matt. 6:19), for one “who lays up treasure for himself…is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:21). …
John the Baptizer is a central figure in the New Testament, being sent as the forerunner of Christ to prepare hearts for the One who would come after him. Imagine for a moment that you could write a letter to John the Baptizer and ask him some questions. What would you ask? “Dear John, who was Jesus?” This man who had a…
There are some people who absolutely love fishing. Some of my best friends through the years have been avid fishermen, for whom I have great respect and admiration. The reality is that all of my Christian friends are fishermen. When Jesus called His disciples, He said, “I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19). What a vivid description of the purpose and work of…
Sometimes we may think that what we do and how we live only impacts us personally, so if I make certain choices or behave a certain way, that’s my problem and no one else’s. Such a concept is completely foreign to reality and, for sure, foreign to Scripture. For example, did you know that whether a man is qualified to serve as an…
The first-century congregation in the city of Corinth was dealing with a divisive spirit that had permeated the membership. A report had reached the apostle Paul that each member of the congregation was claiming allegiance to various ones—“I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or I am of Christ” (1 Cor. 1:12). The inspired penmen…
There were some individuals in John 12 who believed in Jesus. Not everyone in Jesus’ day actually believed in Him, so these people were already in an elite group. However, note carefully what Scripture reveals about them: “Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;…
How can you tell how much someone respects God’s Word? There may be a number of ways to answer that question, but one key measurement is to listen to his words. Consider the highest respect that two persons had for God’s Word—a respect that we must emulate. In John 12:49-50, Jesus stated, “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father…