Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 4:30 says, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” This commonly misunderstood passage carries great implication in general, and specifically for the context in which is it found. What does it mean to grieve the Holy Spirit? How does the passage apply? Paul’s command implies an important truth about the Holy Spirit, namely, that He is a person. The Godhead is one divine essence composed of 3…
Developing the Mind of Christ
“For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). What Paul says here about his own identity with Christ is to be true of all Christians. Christ is “our life” just as he was Paul’s (Col. 3:4). Within living this life of Christ, it has to do with taking on the mind of Christ. That is why Paul commands in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Yet,…
7 Things You Can Do to Help the Church Grow!
1. Make sure YOU put the Kingdom First! You don’t want to fall into the trap where everything becomes an empty habit – you show up to AMPM worship, Wednesday night, all of the events and activities (all are needed) but stop to ask WHY? Habit? Duty? Sense of accomplishment? No one else will do it? Or because you love the Lord and His kingdom? 2. Have a sense of Identity! We are Christians (Acts 11:26) – those who belong…
The Pure in Heart
Did you know that at the heart ofevery snowflake, there is a tiny speck of dust? Typically, they are known for their beauty and symbol of purity, but in reality, they are dirty-hearted little snowflakes. When it comes to us, is it the same? What are we at our core when we look beneath the facade or the dressing? The word, “pure,” carried the idea of “unmixed; it is a singleness of heart, as opposed to a divided heart.” In…
The Importance of Context
How many passages of Scripture were written to you? How many inspired words were written to directly address your specific situation in life? The answer may surprise you. Not one word of one verse of Scripture was written directly to you, or to me, or anyone else in the 21st century. That is not to say that God does not speak to us today through His Word–He does. It is not to say that the Bible is not applicable and…
The Merciful
In Habakkuk 2:4, the prophet declared, “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” Although this is the first time the principle is stated in these words, it is not new. It is as old as God’s dealings with man. The righteous have always and will always live by faith (Gal. 2:20). Therefore, it is important for us to understand faith, and how to develop a faith approach to living.…
Time Changes but Doctrine Never Does!
Hebrews 13:8 stands as one of the most memorable passages in the book–“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” It is common to hear this verse quoted in reference to the unchanging nature of Christ, but while that may be a true principle, it does not exhaust the full meaning of the passage. Contextually, the writer has in mind not just the immutability of the Savior, but the immutability of the Savior’s Word. Hebrews was written to Jewish…
From the Director’s Desk (March 2024) – Trent Kennedy
To close out the great exaltation of Jesus Christ in Colossians 1, Paul turns his attention to the place of preachers in the great mystery (or plan) of God. The work of Paul, and by implication, preachers today, was to put the church first (vs. 24), to serve God’s plan as ministers (vs. 25-27), to preach (vs. 28), and to labor (vs. 29). It is through this labor that human beings become “perfect in Christ” (vs. 28). Focus on Colossians…
The God of All Comfort – John Baker
We need to remember that God really is, “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). As 2 Corinthians opens, the Greek word for “comfort” or “consolation” is found 10 times in just five verses (2 Cor. 1:3-7). Consider the following questions: What is “comfort?” We must make an important distinction between our modern notion of “comfort,” and what the Bible term indicates. In modern English, “comfort” means, “a state of physical ease and freedom from…
How Can I Help? – Adam Orr
Understanding that discouragement to one degree or another is not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’ in the lives of Christians or those outside of Christ, what can we do to help one another? As a foundation upon which to build, let us first be clear that it is not optional whether we help one another through times of discouragement. Paul stated clearly in Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” When we see…
My Favorite Not-So-Discouraging Discouragement Verses – Joey Davis
Christians can get locked into the mentality that faith should always trump discouragement, and that anytime a Christian is struggling mentally or emotionally they must be lacking the appropriate level of trust in God. In their view, Christians should not get discouraged. The truth is that the probability that a child of God will experience periods of discouragement is just one mishap or disappointment away. Rather than pretend that Christians are immune to discouragement, let’s consider what help the Bible…
Why Does It Happen? – Daniel F. Cates
There is no earthshaking revelation in the recognition that discouragements come. They come in A.D. 2024 and have likewise in every year since the world was created (unless Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden for an extended period before they fell). In some of the lives of our biblical heroes, discouragements not only came but they were frequent and powerful. David’s manifold tears made his “bed to swim” (Ps. 6:6). On one occasion [likely on more that…