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…

How critically important it is to be an objective listener! Too often today people just believe what they hear without evaluating what they hear. We must examine the evidence! We must not let what “everyone is saying” become “the truth”! We must search out the truth! In Luke 23, the crowd was making false accusations against Christ (23:1-5), and they were shouting, “Away with this Man…Crucify…

The word “impudent” means “marked by contemptuous or cocky boldness or disregard of others; rude and not showing respect, especially toward someone who is in a more important position.” Is there a more apt word to describe the behavior of those surrounding Jesus’ cross? Look at the impudence in Luke 23:35-39. The rulers “sneered, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him SAVE HIMSELF.’” The “soldiers also…

It is a simple sentence with only two words made up of six letters, but it is a powerful life choice. It will make an immeasurable difference in the lives of others, and it will actually impact you, as you do it. God tells us, “Be kind” (Eph. 4:32). It is an imperative, meaning that it is not optional. It is present tense, meaning that it…

“God wants me to go to church, so I am there, in fact, most Sundays. I am a pretty good person, and I don’t go around committing the big sins. I’d say that I’m a ‘faithful Christian.’” Such a sentiment can probably be (and likely is) expressed by many folks, but is it truly the case that “good folks” who “go to church regularly” are…

Can you think of something that you absolutely always want and expect others to give to you, but you are hesitant and stubborn to give to anyone else? Wow! That could be a lot of things, right? Go ahead and start that list. But think about putting this on the top of that list – the benefit of the doubt. You always want and expect others to…

A modern proverb suggests, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.” Many people think that’s in the Bible, but those words actually are not. Also, “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” That’s a great saying, but those exact words are not in Scripture. Yet,…