Some things test your patience way more than others. When you’re a kid, trying to not peek under the tree at Christmas could be the greatest test of all. On a much more serious note, as Christians, patience can be one the most difficult virtues to master. On the surface, patience can be understood as just the ability to wait on something.…

Does the New Testament teach that a Christian (i.e., one who has been saved by obeying the conditions specified by the God of heaven) must do good deeds in order to maintain His relationship with God?  That question bothers some folks.  The question is not asking anything about “earning” a relationship or “deserving” a relationship.  The question is asking if the New…

I was thinking recently about how many times the Bible talks about saints seeing other saints they have known but not seen for a long time. I started making a list and it kept growing and growing. The list is far from complete. There are likely so many others, but take time to look at these and see just how often God…

No one likes being caught in the middle of an argument, especially when it’s between your brethren in Christ. Often, even the best Christians fail to handle arguments privately, as our Lord described in Matthew 18:15-17, and will look for a friend to back them up. This is not a situation a Christian wants to be in. We are supposed to love…

The Bible does not teach that a Christian can “earn” his way to heaven by doing good works (Eph. 2:8-9), but it does teach that we are created for “good works”(Eph. 2:10).  Sometimes that might sound confusing.  Sometimes folks will lean on the first part of that (verses 8-9, as if good works are not necessary to go to heaven) over the…

So, you think you are a student of the Bible? Let me ask you a question. How many of these Bible characters do you remember? Epaenetus, Amplias, Andronicus, Junia, Urbanus, Apelles, Aristobulus, Herodion, Narcissus, Persis, Rufus, Julia, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Asyncritus, Patrobas, Phlegon, Hermas, Philololgus, Lympas, Gaius, Erastus and Quartus? This is not a copy of the names copied from some obscure genealogical…

I opened a new savings account last month. My wife and I were looking for a safe way to save money. So, we opened an account with a bank that is FDIC insured. This means that the federal government guarantees that even if the bank fails, our money will be returned to us. So, we accepted the terms. There is good reason…