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When I was a young pastor, another pastor more experienced than I told me that one of the most concise representations of our faith is found in chapter 15 of 1 Corinthians. The importance of Christ’s resurrection is mentioned at great length in these verses. Paul...
When I read Paul’s description of the Corinthian church, it’s similar to what we see in the Western church today. The Corinthians boasted about their spirituality, but lacked a demonstration of what it meant to be consecrated—set apart to God. The leadership had...
I got saved when I was 8 years old. But it wasn’t until age 29 that I allowed Jesus to become my Lord. I knew that to be saved was a complete work, but it also meant I had entered a process of being saved from the things that stood in the way of my knowing...
Our acts of obedience can appear like a massive game of dominoes across a floor. One act of obedience will lead to another, taking us to places we never imagined. The same is true for our disobedience. We can think our weaknesses have derailed God's will for our...
It's essential to know the boundary of our calling. Stepping outside that boundary can make us vulnerable to things God did not plan for us to experience. Demons are waiting to attack those who step outside those boundaries. When Paul defended his apostolic authority,...
The phrase "the new you" has been used by health specialists, diet promoters, and plastic surgeons who promise a dramatic physical change that will transform a life. While such promises can have a positive effect, they are not new. Only our appearance changes by these...
When Jan and I pray for people who do not know the Lord, we specifically pray that the veil of their unbelief would be removed. Our prayer is simple: "Lord, make yourself known to them." When that blinding veil is removed, remarkable results have happened. Those who...
Some believers wait for a pastor or theologian to explain God's word to them, thinking they cannot understand Scripture on their own. God's word is straightforward. Even the most challenging sections can be understood if we approach them with a childlike...
We live in a time when people believe foolish lies, calling them the truth and forming their faith around those errant assumptions. It is happening now, just as it did when Paul was preaching. The point to which our faith is attached is the resurrection of Jesus from...
The Spirit has placed gifts in the Church not just for our edification and healing. Some have a different purpose. One of the gifts of the Spirit is the ability to call out an error that can lead a Church to veer off the path of truth and embrace an error. When Paul...
In a marriage, we don’t have a partner. We have a husband or wife—a man and woman united in a unique expression of oneness with God. While a husband and wife may partner together in the responsibilities of this life, it is their bond of marriage, not the tasks they...
Some sins are being allowed, even celebrated in the Church. These sins exist because we have abandoned the restraints of Scripture and allowed sin to remain unchallenged. Paul wrote about our response to these sins, "So, don't make judgments about anyone ahead of...
When we get down to it, "The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God" (I Corinthians 1:18). When Paul wrote those words, he did so as a very learned man. However, as he...
Reading someone's final words can sum up what they said and what is essential for the reader to take to heart. Many times, these final words contain a warning. They are exclamation points attached to what someone said, just like it was with Paul's closing words in the...
When I was a young patrol officer, I almost shot a man. I was working in a two-man unit during a midnight shift. We stopped a vehicle that drove past us at high rate of speed in violation of the posted speed limit. So, we pulled in behind the vehicle and initiated a...