Those Christians to whom the book of Hebrews was addressed were not growing as they should and had “become dull of hearing” (Heb. 5:11).  They had gone backwards and needed someone to teach them “again the first” or “elementary principles of Christ” (5:12; 6:1-2).  Are you a Christian who has matured beyond the basic rudiments of Christian doctrine? Elementary Principle: “repentance from…

Who has not in their lifetime had those dark and trying periods when hope was almost gone? What congregation has not experienced anxiety as turmoil developed between brethren? Evidently, the church at Rome was dealing with all kinds of problems—there were false teachers seeking to Judaize the Gentiles by demanding that they must be circumcised to enter heaven. There was also strife…

“Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matt. 5:41). The Persians did this before the Romans. It was the practice of compelling someone into service. It was common place for Roman soldiers to ask the Jewish people to carry their gear, which is estimated to have weighed 60 lbs., to the next marker. Jesus uses the disdain that…

Have you seen those signs on the backs of commercial trucks and vans?  They say something like, “How’s My Driving?”  And there is a phone number to call and a truck/van number to report about “their driving.” Why are these signs on the backs of the trucks and vans?  The reason is that these trucks and vans represent the company that is…

Tragically, men have taken the words of the Bible out of context. Consider the following illustration. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” there was no way anyone there could have understood what He meant. Have you ever thought what the Jewish leaders thought was finished at the cross? It was not finished for the religious leaders who crucified. I do not know…

Initially, he didn’t care for it. He stood against it to the point of persecuting those that would name the name of Christ until he learned who Christ was, not who he thought Christ was. The conversion of Saul to Paul in chapters nine and twenty-two of Acts teaches us that nobody is too far gone. We see his change from great…

Combination locks—a simple and yet intricate invention of centuries gone by—are used widely today for locking up numerous belongings—like bicycles, suitcases, briefcases, doors, gates, phones, etc.  Regardless of the style of lock, everyone understands the process required to open one of these locks.  It’s very simple—all of the numbers must be placed in a precise order.  When the “combination” of (1) the…

The elderly Christian man was very faithful to His Lord and a devoted member of the local congregation of the Lord’s church.  He also endeavored to be a good neighbor and have a positive influence on those around him.  For several years, he lived in a retirement community, where a Jewish couple lived right next door.  Over the years, this elderly Christian…