One of the easiest things to do (it seems) is to quote a Bible verse—out of its original and intended context—in order to prove a point.  However, in so doing, the validity of such argumentation has no foundation at all.  As has long been stated, “A text, out of context, is a pretext.” While some verses may sound good and make us…

It is interesting and often discouraging to observe happenings in the religious world.  The whole world was tuned in to the recent passing of Pope Francis and the selection of Pope Leo as the new leader of the Catholic Church.  During that same time, an article was published by a major news outlet regarding “an ongoing debate” within another large denomination about…

How do you know you’re interpreting the Bible accurately? Do you need a preacher’s opinion? Do you need a traditional interpretation? Or do you need a single elected man in a seat of authority to give a definitive answer? Now, there is definitely great value in asking a trusted Bible teacher for help. In Acts 8:30-31, when Philip asked the Ethiopian eunuch…

As I have gotten older, I have learned so much about how to study the Bible. Let me allow you to look over my shoulder as we read the following verse and begin our study by carefully looking at every phrase and sometimes every word. Take time to see how each part of a verse relates to every other part and how…

His name was George. He had been dishonorably discharged from the Marines. His addiction to alcohol and sinful living would have caused many to dismiss him as a hopeless case. Then he met Brenda and through her he met Jesus. His life was changed eternally by Christ. They devoted their lives working with those in the local jails and hundreds were changed,…

Let’s see if we can summarize these matters.  The term “sola scriptura” is not found in the Bible, as it is a Latin phrase created by some men to describe a belief system and to distance themselves from another belief system that was created by a different group of men.  As a manmade expression, its meaning can vary from person to person. …

One of my favorite songs we sing in worship is “Humble Yourselves.” It is extremely simple, focusing solely on a single phrase in each verse. As we join together to sing, we admonish one another to know our place in the presence of the Almighty God. You may already be aware that the lyrics to “Humble Yourselves” comes directly from Scripture. In…

He had no idea how he spoke to his family, and the attitude shown by his words was impacting his wife and kids. He would never curse or use profanity, but the tone in what he said really hurt. His wife wondered how to deal with this. So, she secretly recorded what he was saying, and then let him hear the impact…