The battle for purity in society is raging, and unfortunately, many are captives or severely losing. David lost this battle as he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Solomon lost it as he had 1,000 wives and concubines to fulfill his lust. If we are going to win this battle, we must be strategic and disciplined. Winning is important to protect our lives, our families, our churches, and most importantly to honor our God.How can we win the battle for purity? In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, ...

The letter of First Peter was written to persecuted Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire. It was meant to both encourage and instruct them on how to live as pilgrims in a hostile world. This message is still relevant today.Christ declared that in the end times believers would be hated by "all nations" because of him (Matthew 24:9). With the continuing culture shift, animosity and persecution towards Christians is increasing at an alarming rate. Over 400 Christians are m...

What is the highest good in life that anyone can pursue?In Latin, there is a term summum bonum, which means "the highest good out of which all good flows." Many pursue wisdom, social justice, wealth, power, or physical strength as the highest good in life. However, none of these compare to the benefits of knowing God. Listen to what the Lord said through the prophet Jeremiah:Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boa...

How should we pursue spiritual maturity—becoming more like Christ? In Paul's epistle to the Philippians, one of the dominant themes is spiritual maturity. Throughout the epistle, he encourages them to pursue unity, to be faithful in suffering, to rejoice regardless of circumstances, to live as citizens of heaven, to have the mind of Christ, and to practice many other virtues—essentially calling them to be mature. Then, in chapter 3, he specifically exhorts them to imitate his pursuit of Ch...

Nehemiah: Becoming a Godly Leader is a fourteen week expositional study of the book of Nehemiah. It considers topics like the characteristics of a godly leader, a godly leader's priorities, cultivating a life of celebration, characteristics of revival, how a godly leader responds to discouragement, conflict, prosperity and promotion, the tactics of the enemy, and much more. Let's study it together with the Bible Teacher's Guide."Helpful to both the laymen and the serious student, T...

"In The Lowering Days Gregory Brown gives us a lush, almost mythic portrait of a very specific place and time that feels all the more universal for its singularity. There's magic here." —Richard Russo, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Empire Falls and Chances AreA promising literary star makes his debut with this emotionally powerful saga, set in 1980s Maine, that explores family love, the power of myths and storytelling, survival...

Around fifty percent of marriages end in divorce and of those who stay married, a large number are unhappy. "Happily ever after" seems to be something only reserved for fairy tales. Even the disciples, when considering the difficulties of marriage, replied, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry" (Matt 19:10). Certainly, this is not what God had in mind when he created marriage (Gen 2:24). How are married couples supposed to experience the abundant ...

Who is Jesus Christ? Is he enough for salvation? How should our relationship with him affect our daily lives? Paul's letter to the Colossians answers these questions. The Colossian church was being attacked by a cult with an early form of Gnostic doctrine that challenged the deity and the sufficiency of Christ. It taught Christ was not enough for salvation and that more was needed.Paul challenged this teaching by revealing the supremacy of Christ. Christ is the image of the invisib...

Many of the problems plaguing the church today, such as apathy, conflict, spiritual pride, and spiritual abuse, stem from a poor understanding of who the church is in Christ and God's purpose for her. Whenever we don't understand the purpose of something, we are prone to misuse it. No doubt the newly founded churches in Ephesus and Asia Minor struggled with a lack of understanding as well and, therefore, were plagued with many of the same issues.Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesia...

Do you ever struggle with how to pray? Do you struggle with what words to say or knowing if you're praying exactly God's will?In Colossians 1:9-14, Paul prays God's will for the Colossian church, who he had never met and who was being attacked by a dangerous cult. We are sure this prayer was God's will and Spirit–led because God chose to include it in Scripture as an example for us. As we glean its riches, we can discern many characteristics of Spirit-led prayer which will strength...

How can we truly live a life of faith? Over 4,000 years ago, God called a man named Abraham to begin a wonderful journey of faith with him. Abraham was a pagan who worshiped idols; however, he left his home, family, and security to follow God. God called Abraham to be a centerpiece in his plan to redeem all people (Gen 12:1–3). All nations would be blessed through him, as he was the father of Israel—God's priests—and an ancestor of Jesus—the one who gave his life to save the world (John 3:...

Who is Jesus Christ? This question elicits a lot of mystery and confusion. Some say Jesus was only a regular human—maybe a wise man or prophet. Others say he is a created being, like an angel. Still, others say Jesus is God but not human. While others say he is both fully God and fully human. Who exactly is Jesus? Scripture teaches that our eternal destiny depends on how we answer this question (1 John 4:2-3, Rom 10:9-10); therefore, it befits us to reflect on this question and answer it c...