The denominational world has surely complicated what the Bible teaches about the return of Christ.  They have added much to the simple information that we have in the Bible.  Let’s see just how simple it is. (1) The timing of the return of Jesus is unknown and completely unpredictable (Matt. 24:36-44; 1 Thess. 5:2).  There will be no signs to indicate the…

I’ve wanted to tell people on several occasions that everything would be okay. There have been times when I wish I could’ve given people assurances about the future, and to let them know that as dark as it seems right now things would work out. Don’t be afraid, it will be okay. As much as I wanted to say it, I knew…

John 3:16 is one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. This passage has been used by many to downplay the importance of baptism. Is belief all that is needed to be saved? The New Testament is filled with passages that proclaim the essentiality of baptism (cf. Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Pet. 3:21), but what does John 3 really teach?…

Those songs which we sang years ago can easily be laid aside, and we forget their powerful messages. Paul talked about “putting away childish things” (1 Cor. 13:11), but this has nothing to do with forgetting those vital truths we learned even before we went to school. Look at one of those songs. “This little light of mine…” or in another version,…

Sometimes we want credit for things that we do, even things that we do in the church as a Christian.  It is difficult to let someone else get the credit or attention resulting from something we have done.  Such a craving for recognition caused some of John the Baptist’s disciples to inform John of someone who was stealing the spotlight from him. …

When we sing, we are edified by the message of many songs—songs like “Faith Is the Victory,” “We Have an Anchor,” “Be Not Dismayed” or “Victory in Jesus.” These are sung to remind and get us thinking about our faith. These are songs that remind us to have a faith that can overcome. We read from the first of John’s letters, “For…

Do you ever feel like you aren’t good enough? Inadequacy is a common feeling in many aspects of life. We want to do a good job at what we do and when we fail, it can be very frustrating. There is one area, however, where you will always be inadequate. No matter how hard you try or how much you practice, you…

It is not wrong to make plans for tomorrow or even for months ahead. Paul’s letter to Rome shows just how far ahead he had planned his life. As he was collecting the funds from the Gentile churches, he reveals his plan. It involved: (1) finishing gathering the funds; (2) making sure they were safely delivered to the church in Jerusalem; (3)…