Since every one of us must one day depart this world, we must turn our eyes to God — for it is towards God that the path of death ultimately leads and directs us. Here we find the beginning of the narrow gate and of...
New Bodies 5For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human...
Paul’s Life for Christ 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...
For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. 51Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. 2 Wash me...
Last Friday, our family began the day like so many others in America who have made fitness resolutions for the new year. We went to the gym....
Adam and Christ Contrasted 12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. 13 Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to...
The Man and Woman Sin 3The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” 2 “Of course we...
The Account of Creation 1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light,” and...
The Law and Faith in Christ 3 Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2 Let me ask...
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. John 7:37-39 Jesus Promises Living Water 37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in...
A psalm of David, regarding a time when David was in the wilderness of Judah. 63 O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 2 I have...
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman 4 Jesus knew the Pharisees had heard that he was baptizing and making more disciples than John 2 (though Jesus himself didn’t baptize them—his disciples did). 3 So he left Judea and returned to Galilee. 4 He had to go through Samaria...
Live as Citizens of Heaven 27 Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are...
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah 18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit....
This Advent season, we will add to our time of worship the wonderful melodies of selected Christmas carols. While not always viewed as worship music, these carols give us the opportunity to respond to the birth of Jesus with joy-filled celebration and gratitude. In the...
This past weekend, Bill White taught on Genesis 24:1-27. As the narrative begins, we are informed that Abraham is an old man, blessed by the Lord in all things. At this point in his life, he holds an influential position, possessing wealth, prestige, and power. He...
The Birth of Jesus 2 At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. 2 (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census....
The Birth of Jesus Foretold 26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, 27 to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. 28 Gabriel appeared...
Great Examples of Faith 11 Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. 2 Through their faith, the people in days of old earned a good reputation. 3 By faith we understand that the entire universe was...
I became a real grown up this holiday season and hosted Thanksgiving dinner for our family this year. I operate on a “less is more” policy when it comes to entertaining – as in, the less I do, the more time I have to do...
Over the past few months, I have heard many great things about the OVC Kenya program. However, my experience with the program was purely superficial. I only knew how many advocates and children there were, the amount of money necessary to support a child, and...
This Advent season, we will add to our time of worship the wonderful melodies of selected Christmas carols. While not always viewed as worship music, these carols give us the opportunity to respond to the birth of Jesus with joy-filled celebration and gratitude. In the...
Ishmael’s Descendants 12 This is the account of the family of Ishmael, the son of Abraham through Hagar, Sarah’s Egyptian servant. 13 Here is a list, by their names and clans, of Ishmael’s descendants: The oldest was Nebaioth, followed by Kedar, Adbeel, Mibsam, 14 Mishma, Dumah, Massa, 15 Hadad, Tema,...
A Wife for Isaac 24 Abraham was now a very old man, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. 2 One day Abraham said to his oldest servant, the man in charge of his household, “Take an oath by putting your hand under my thigh. 3 Swear...
Recently, I re-read an old journal entry and stumbled upon this quote by Jon Bloom. He’s talking about the story of Mary & Martha, and this quote is on “being a Martha:” ...