John 3:16 will always be a great passage that is highly impactful because it emphasizes three significant realities. John 3:16 (ESV) 16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. First, the love of God is real and undeniable.  What greater way could love be demonstrated than the sacrifice of one’s only child?  How many of you would be willing to sacrifice one of your children for any cause whatsoever?  The fact that God was willing to sacrifice His one and only Son for us speaks volumes of Hi ..read more

  In July of 2005, the Lakewood Church in Houston Texas moved into the former Compaq Center, the old home of the NBA’s Houston Rockets, remodeled to be their new place of worship.  The Lakewood Church was at that time the largest in America, averaging around 40,000 people a week in attendance.  The leader of the church is Joel Osteen, author of the best-selling book, “Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential.”  In denominational circles, many refer to Osteen’s message as “Christianity Lite” because he purposefully avoids any negativity, emphasizing posit ..read more

Some statements, words, and phrases are found in the Bible that are so memorable that they are known by almost everyone, even if they are not completely understood.  One such statement is found in Psalm 123, a chapter in the book of Psalms that is known by most people, at least those familiar with the Bible.  David simply said, “I will fear no evil.” While David spoke with the confidence of a good shepherd, his boldness did not come from his view of himself, but from his understanding that the Lord was with Him.   Let us consider some of the words of David in Psalms twenty ..read more

Jesus told His original disciples that He was going to make them fishers of men.  That has always been the purpose for those called by the gospel.  Preaching the gospel is one of our primary responsibilities as Christians.  If we want to please God, we have to do His will, and preaching the gospel is certainly a part of that will.  We should preach the gospel, not only because it pleases God, but because of our love for man and our realization that we are the world’s only hope. In Romans 10, Paul contrasts being saved by the Law of Moses and by faith, that is, by obeying th ..read more

There are thousands of denominations in the world, all of whom claim to be following the same Lord and living by the same Bible. The problem is they wear different names, teach different doctrines, and practice different works. People in the world are turned off by this and often reject God because of it. It is sad that so many people who think they are rejecting God, are just rejecting some false teaching or practice produced by a man-made church. The truth is Jesus never built a denominational church. He only built one church, and it is the only place on earth where salvation can be found. T ..read more

Peace is a long sought-after state of being.  Everyone loves and yearns for peace.  In Christ, we are afforded the highest kind of peace—peace with God. Romans 5:1 (ESV) 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. The word justification means, “to render just or innocent” (Strong).  It is to be declared not guilty in heaven’s court.  Since we are not really innocent, to be declared such is a matter of grace on God’s part.  It is not that God has swept our sins under the rug.  His own righteousness would ..read more

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus told of a man who took his one talent and buried it in the ground (vers. 24-25).  As a result, his master called him wicked and slothful.  Obviously, that is not what we should do with our talents.  Our Master, that is, God, wants us to increase our talents.  Why?  It is because whatever talent we have has been given to us by Him and we are just  stewards over them. In the physical realm, talents refer to a sum of money; thus, to increase the master’s talents is to do that which is financially rewarding to hi ..read more

Faith may not be the first characteristic that you think about when considering Moses, but he was definitely a man of great faith.  As such, he serves as a great example for us to follow.  Consider the words of the Hebrews writer. Hebrews 11:24–26 (ESV) 24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.  26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. We have seen ho ..read more

This week we have been winding down by looking at great examples of faith found in the book of Hebrews.  We have looked at the righteousness of Abel, the trust of Enoch, and the obedience of Noah.  Tonight, we want to look at the sacrificial faith of Abraham. Any series of lessons emphasizing faith would be incomplete without mentioning Abraham.  After all, he is the father of the faithful.  We are the spiritual seed of Abraham if we follow his example of faith. Romans 4:12 (ESV) 12 and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also wa ..read more

Noah had a remarkable faith that saved his life from the destruction of the flood and saved his soul from a devil’s hell.  His faith saved him because it was an obedient faith.  Saving faith always does the same thing when it comes to commandments given by God.  It obeys, and that is what Noah did. Hebrews 11:7 (ESV) 7 By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household.  By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.   In reverent fear, Noah ..read more