Settling into a mediocre Christianity is a danger we all face.  Drifting to a place where we go through the motions when serving God, not giving Him our all, is easy.  Jesus condemned the church at Laodicea for being lukewarm. Revelation 3:15-16 (ESV) 15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would […]

The cross of Christ will always be one of the great paradoxes of all time.  The day that Jesus died for our transgressions was at once the darkest and the most joyous the world has ever seen.  Without the cross upon which Jesus shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins, we would be […]

Do you like who you are?  If not, it is certainly in your power to do something about it.  People can change if they desire to do so.  We all need to look in the mirror from time to time and honestly assess the direction of our lives and how we are living.  Sometimes we […]

The word zeal (zēlos) is an emotional word that can denote something good or bad.  It literally means “to boil,” and figuratively, “to seethe with emotion.”  In classical Greek, the word referred to either the noble passion of zeal or the ignoble emotion of jealousy.  In the New Testament, we find the word used 17 […]

As long as we are in this world, we must fight against materialism.  It does not matter if you are rich, poor, or in-between, the devil will use the material things of this world to steal your heart from God.  Being attracted to the material things of this world comes naturally to man because we […]

Are you a consistent Christian?  One of the biggest deterrents to being a strong Christian is inconsistency.  Being consistent in our service to God is far more important than being great at any one thing.  It is the only way we can assure ourselves of being ready when Jesus returns.  Do not just take my […]

Hope is a wonderful thing.  The Bible says that we are sustained by it (Romans 8:24).  The Hebrews writer calls it an anchor of our souls (Hebrews 6:19).  Hope sustains us by keeping us from drifting away from God while living our lives, causing us to live with purity (1 John 3:3). Sadly, popular preachers, […]

Peter was a leader in the Lord’s church and ended up being a powerful force for the cause of Christ.  He loved the Lord so much that he gave his life for Him at the hands of Rome.  In the beginning, however, during the personal ministry of Christ, he struggled with some things.  He viewed […]

Are you among the “blessed” of God?  Most people would hope to be so.  In fact, most people believe that they are because they experience good things in life.  However, not everyone who experiences good things in life is among the blessed of God.  Many atheists do well from a physical or material standpoint.   The […]

If you are familiar with Paul’s writings, you know that he often referred to the “mystery of God.” This mystery to which he referred was hidden throughout the ages. Romans 16:25 (ESV) 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the […]