The theme of “boasting” is woven throughout the tapestry of Scripture. Continue reading
Bible
Do Not Be Deceived by Fine-sounding Words (Colossians 2:1-5)
The Apostle Paul said to the Colossian Christians, “I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments (Colossians 2:4).” In this information age, we need this exhortation no less than the Colossian Christians.
We have become a society obsessed with getting attention and support – financial and otherwise – from everyone and anyone. Politicians cleverly use polling data and test verbiage in order to secure a favorable outcome from voters. Websites, app designers, and social media platforms design complex algorithms aimed at stimulating the pleasure center of your brain, so that you keep coming back for more. Continue reading
The Pandemic (Matthew 4:4)
Submitted by Andy McIlvain and originally posted March 2020.
There is a pandemic that has silently moved through the world. It is particularly acute in our region. It is not the Coronavirus or Avian Flu. It is Bible Illiteracy. Continue reading
Get Ready (Joshua 1:1-6)
We might be tempted to think that the mission of God was completed and closed when Jesus died on the cross and victoriously rose from the dead. Continue reading
Distinguishing Marks of the Infant Christian Church (Acts 2:42-47)
Who does not like a good photograph? Photographs capture the special times in life, the birthdays, weddings, and moments that crystalize what is important in life. Though cameras were yet to be invented at the birth of the infant Christian Church, Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote down words that give us photographs of that church. The widest angle shot appears in Acts 2:42-47, after Peter’s Pentecost sermon. There we see what the church was doing in those early years. Those happenings represent what the one, true church has always been.
Continue readingWhy did Jesus keep his ministry a secret? (Mark 1:29-34)
There was a peculiarity about Jesus’ ministry that may surprise you in today’s content-driven, media-crazed culture. Throughout most of his earthly ministry, Jesus kept his identity under wraps. If social media had existed in Jesus’ day, he would not have used it. He would have been the person at the party saying, “No photos online, please!” Continue reading
Help Reading the Bible – Part 2 (Translations and Resources)
Submitted by Andy McIlvain.
God wrote a book-The Bible. As Christians we should strive to live and breathe the Bible.
The Bible is inspired (God-Breathed), meaning God divinely influenced the human authors of the Scriptures to write the very Word of God. In the context of the Scriptures “inspiration” simply means “God-breathed,” making the Bible unique among all other books. The human authors, though inspired by God, had different writing styles with their own personalities, worldviews, and cultural influences. Yet, because the words of Scripture were received from an all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect God, the Bible in its original form is inerrant and authoritative. Continue reading
A Bible Overview
Help in Reading the Bible – Part 1 (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Submitted by Andy McIlvain.
Do you read your Bible? I mean really sit down without distractions and read it? We call it “The Holy Bible” because it is God’s Word set apart from all other books. Continue reading
God is Not Silent (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Submitted by Andy McIlvain.
Is your Bible closed? How often do you read from it? A LifeWay Research survey revealed that of 2,000 Americans who read the Bible, only about a third of them read it almost every day. The average reader owns 3.6 copies of the Bible, and1 in 5 churchgoers never read the Bible. Continue reading