Posts from July 2025
We Will Overcome (Numbers 13:30-14:9)
After an escape from Egypt and a trip through the wilderness, God’s people had made it to the borders of the promised land. Canaan was promised by God, and it was described as a land flowing with milk and honey. (Exodus 3:17) It truly was a paradise for the people of God, and it was ripe for the taking. This brings us to Numbers 13 and 14. In this text, Moses sends out 12 spies to scout out the land…
Three Things to Remember in Sorrow
Our hearts have been heavy for the last week as we have absorbed the devastation of the Guadalupe River flood. It can be difficult to know what do think or do during such difficult times. My mind went to the prophet Jeremiah, who watched a city burn while men, women, and children were killed or carried away captive. Here are three things he would have us remember in a time such as this. Remember the MERCY of God (Lam. 3:22-24).…
Singing with Understanding
“I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” According to Ephesians 5:19, there are two major components to our spiritual singing. First, we are to sing “psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” Secondly, we are to sing “with our hearts to the Lord.” To accomplish these, we must sing with an understanding of what we are singing. In this article, let’s consider a hymn we sing so that we might sing it with a better understanding. The hymn “I Have Decided to Follow…
From the Director’s Desk (June 2025) – Trent Kennedy
June is a big month for us. We have completed Camp Hensel, papers have been written, exams have been taken, and sermons have been preached. June 29 is our formal graduation ceremony. Eight students will walk across the stage and move on to new opportunities and challenges in the Kingdom. Five of our graduates have been hired to serve in various ministry roles. Our ladies will take what they have learned and put it into practice right away by teaching…
Gospel Parallels: Salvation and Condemnation – Dave Rogers
The suggestion that someone will not experience everlasting peace and joy is distasteful and abhorrent to much of the world, but the Bible shows that some will be lost rather than saved. Without the prospect of condemnation, the very idea of salvation becomes absurd and pointless; the word loses all meaning and value if we have no possibility of missing it. Hebrews 9:27 declares that, “…it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment”. Though the…
Heavenly Wisdom (Jas. 3:17-18) – Kevin Cauley
Boys are naturally competitive. I have four of them. They are grown now, but when they were younger, they had daily conflicts. One was the battle for the front seat. “It’s my turn;” “No, it’s my turn,” was so routinely debated, you’d think it was congressional legislation. When one didn’t get his way, he would inevitably appeal to the supreme court with the cry: “Daaaad!” I never knew whose turn it was (Who’s got time to keep up with that?),…
Worldly Wisdom (Jas. 3:14-16) – Cody Kilgore
Acareful reading of James’ epistle reveals a shuddering concern for the inward man. Through this epistle, no less than thirty terms which are indicative of the inward man are employed. The prevailing caution toward the inward man might be eye-catching, but it should not be earth-shattering. Have we not been warned by the pen (Pro. 4:23) and the person of inspiration (Matt. 6:21-23) concerning the inward man? Has it not been impressed upon our minds that the inward man affects…
A Real Wise Man – Chase Green
Think about a scenario for a moment. If a teacher were to ask a Bible study class, “Who is the wisest and most understanding person in this room?” what would you think of someone who immediately raised his hand and waved it proudly in the air for all to see? This person may think he is the wisest, but in actuality, he may be one of the most foolish ones in the room. The reason for this is that true…
A Case in Point: Naboth’s Vineyard
Solomon counseled, “Get wisdom!” (Pro. 4:5), and how we ought to heed that admonition. James would have us know, however, that not just any wisdom will do. There is a kind of wisdom that “does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic” (Jas. 3:15). Literally, it is “earth bound,” “spiritually dead,” and “from hell.” This kind of thinking manifests itself in fruit like envy, selfishness, pride, deceit, confusion, and every kind of evil thing (Jas. 3:14, 16). It…