What do you think about yourself? Scripture tells us very plainly that a Christian is “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think” (Rom. 12:3). We must be “humble” (1 Pet. 5:5-6). We must “esteem others better than” ourselves (Phil. 2:3). But, does that mean we are to consider ourselves to be dirt? Does that mean we have…

Would you think that the early church was characterized more by “grace” or by “fear”? In the early days of the church, both qualities were found to be in abundance. As the church was growing, they maintained a deep love for and unity with one another. “They had all things in common” (Acts 4:32), and the apostles refused to stop preaching “the…

How is a Christian to determine what is right and what is wrong? How much should the legalization of certain substances or practices influence a Christian’s stance? Is it the American legislators and courts that get to define righteousness and lawlessness? Does it make it right in the eyes of God and therefore indisputably acceptable to Christians when man legalizes alcohol, marijuana,…

The last Sunday that Jesus ever lived was a memorable day. As He rode into Jerusalem on the colt, multitudes cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Luke 11:1-9). But, the next day was not as “triumphal.” Jesus entered the temple, similar to the occasion three years earlier (John 2:13-22), and drove out the merchants…

When Jesus drove the money-changers out of the temple during His last week (Mark 11:15), it is sometimes wondered if this was some uncontrolled, knee-jerk, flying-off-the-handle reaction that He had to the indiscretions of these money-hungry guys. Or, is it possible that His response was more calculated, thought out and measured than we might realize? There is an interesting statement four verses earlier. In…

Pokémon GO has taken the world by storm. Guys are skipping out of work. Husbands are out capturing until late at night. Trainers are battling each other to level up. It is fun to watch friends excitedly playing and competing in this new mobile game. So, what if the church building was a recurring PokéStop? No, not for the game (I’ve moved…

One of the greatest events in the closing weeks of Jesus’ life was the raising of Lazarus from the dead. As a result of that great miracle, “many of the Jews…believed in Him” (John 11:45). However, the chief priests, the Pharisees and the Jewish council “plotted to put Him to death” (11:53). They became so desperate to stop people from believing in…

People. People. People. What can we say about them? They encourage us and then discourage us, impress us and then disappoint us, inspire us and then irritate us. Too often, the people in our lives let us down, lie to us or leave us in a lurch.  What are we to do? First, let’s remember that our faith needs to be in…