There may be a tendency sometimes to minimize sin. We might think, “Everybody is doing this.” Or, “I’ve been so good—this one time is no big deal.” Or, “In the grand scheme of things, this is just one sin.” Or, “God knows that I’m not going to be perfect, so this is ok.” I know that sin is tempting—that’s its very nature. The devil uses our “own…

Can you imagine being an Old Testament prophet and getting to tell about Jesus and all of the things that He would do before it ever happened? That would be exciting! Can you imagine being an angel and watching the plan of God unfold and seeing what the prophets foretold about coming to fruition? That would be exciting! Brother and sister in Christ, you’ve got…

As you think about your friends, what would you really like for them to do? Some might say: “I want my friends to like me…to accept me…to want to be around me…to think that I am fun…to think that I am cool…to invite me to their fun activities…to not judge me for being a Christian…to not think I am weird for my beliefs…to…

That expression may be confusing to us and maybe even sound funny. First-century Christians would have readily understood the metaphor. Orientals wore long, loose robes, which were not conducive to running or long journeys, so they would gather up the long robes with a girdle to prepare to run or travel and to provide greater ease and freedom of movement.  The book of First…

Have you ever snatched a kid from danger (maybe falling off a piece of furniture or touching something harmful), only to put the kid back down and see them attempt the same action again? Why do kids do that? Why don’t they learn and stop their careless acts? Put yourself in God’s place. How often, do you suppose, has He snatched one of His children…

There are all sorts of things that you can buy today either “new” or “used”—homes, cars, appliances, clothes, etc. Have you ever thought about buying a “used” burial plot? Is there even such a thing? There are burial plots that are “new,” or at least “not-yet-used,” and there are burial plots that are “in use” presently. But those are the only options. Where are you going to…

The apostles endured brutal persecution because they were “preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42; 2:30-38; 4:10-12). The Jewish council arrested the apostles (4:1-4; 5:17-18, 26), put them on trial (4:5-22; 5:27-40), “severely threatened…further threatened them” (4:17-21), and “beat” them (5:40). Through all of this, the council “commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (4:17-18; 5:28, 40). But…

When you read through the letters of Peter, you will come across the word “precious” several times. Of all the things that he describes as “precious,” the first one is our “faith” (1 Pet. 1:7). Have you ever thought about your faith being “precious”? The Greek word “pertains to being of exceptional value; of great worth; costly.” Have you ever considered the value and worth…