We have watched those moments when athletes are about to start their race for the Olympic gold medal. They have done this so often since they first lined up to race, perhaps when they were still in grammar school. In various ways the official has said, “On your marks, get set, go.” The starting gun sounds, and the race begins. Those starting…

If you were to ask the average person—“What is man’s greatest need?”—what sort of answers would you receive?  If you were to ask the average person—“What is the greatest gift that man could receive?”—what sort of answers do you think you would receive?  Would the answers to these questions vary?  No doubt!  Did you know that the Bible gives one single answer…

We do not always know the circumstances in which the psalmist found himself when he took his pen in hand. However, as we can read his psalms, we often find that we have experienced similar circumstances in our lives, which have brought about the same feelings he had. Consider Psalm 43 where David asks, “Why are you cast down, O my soul?”…

One of the hymns we sing, especially at youth devotionals and events, is entitled “Pierce My Ear.” The song lyrics go through how we will “serve no other God,” and are therefore asking Him to “pierce” our ears. Perhaps we sing this and are touched by how beautiful it sounds, but what do the words really mean? The meaning of the song…

In many organizations, great value is placed in new ideas. A company that once was stagnant may find revitalization from the perspective of a young, visionary mind. However, recently we have seen with companies, that when “fresh, new ideas” lead a company from its original mission, it can be detrimental. Sometimes we bring this mentality into the church. We say things like, “I…

Hebrews 5 shows the writer talking about the Son of God, when th ere is a sudden pause. The writer says that there is “much to say” about Him, but that it has become difficult because the audience has become “dull of hearing” (Heb. 5:11). The verses following that statement discuss how those the writer is addressing should have been teaching, but…

The Book of Acts records that the followers of Jesus Christ were “first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). Why was this moment so important to include in the Scriptures? Is the name really all that significant? The Lord’s church was founded in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Peter gave the first sermon of Christ’s New Testament and over…

The apostle Peter was drawing a sharp contrast between children of God and children of the devil in the second chapter of his first letter.  On the one hand is “he who believes” on Christ (1 Pet. 2:6), and on the other hand are “those who are disobedient” (2:7).  In the New Testament, belief and obedience are used interchangeably (John 3:36; Acts…