15 Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” 16 But Elisha...
1 The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the Lord had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. 2 At this time Aramean raiders had invaded the land of Israel, and among...
16 “In a little while you won’t see me anymore. But a little while after that, you will see me again.” 17 Some of the disciples asked each other, “What does he mean when he says, ‘In a little while you won’t see me, but then you will...
Something as simple as eating lunch together each week can change a child's life—at least that's what Mentor Upstate believes. Growing up in poverty comes with a set of unique challenges. For a variety of reasons, children may spend most of their time without the...
20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. 21 For...
This weekend Bill White delivered the second sermon of our “Citizens” series. As we continued to wrestle with the idea of what it means to be citizens of heaven making our way through this world, this weekend we looked at the mission that we have...
10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the...
8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing....
1 You yourselves know, dear brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 You know how badly we had been treated at Philippi just before we came to you and how much we suffered there. Yet our God gave us the courage to declare...
Recently my husband and I were asked a question by someone we had just met. We paused for a minute and looked at each other as we pondered whether we should give the neatly-packaged answer or the honest answer. We chose the honest answer, even...
1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy. 2 We are writing to God’s holy people in the city of Colosse, who are faithful brothers and sisters in Christ. May God our Father give...
As our culture swirls due to recent social injustices and controversial government decisions, the responses we offer will reveal the true nature of our hearts. By our responses, we are able to discover where we have placed our identities. Do our responses reflect that we...
1 I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. 2 You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning...
In a time when our country finds itself facing many difficult issues, we as Christians must be reminded that we are first and foremost citizens not of this world, but of heaven. Despite the Bible’s repeated claims that we are strangers and foreigners here on...
When your job is engaging people and culture it can be easy to think you’re an expert. For the past 5 years, my job, on some level, has consisted of engaging people and cultures intentionally and with the goal of gospel-centered restoration....
11 Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. 12 Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so...
This weekend we began our new mini-series, 'Citizens,' addressing some important issues related to our identity as Christians living in the world (as strangers and aliens). For more teaching on the subject of living as foreigners in the world as seen in the context of...
Orphans and vulnerable children are a devastating product of the broken world in which we live .Because of sin and the fall of man, children throughout the world experience abuse and corruption everyday. People recognize this issue and realize a practical way to help is through...
Do you remember as a child how good it felt to be invited over to someone’s house? Of course, it stills feels good to be invited as an adult. But there was something extra special and exciting about being invited to a party or a...
11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded...
This past weekend we looked at 1 Kings 18:1- 40 and the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. This story looks at the nation of Israel during a time of disobedience and idolatry. It is important that we define idolatry as the worshipping...
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them. 10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have...
Our family has moved more times than I ever thought we would. The first couple of times were cross-town moves to homes better suited to our growing family. But then we moved to Allendale, SC in 2011, and then back to Greenville in 2014....
4 You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. 5 And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy...
1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. 2 God the Father knew you and chose you long ago, and his Spirit has made...