What did Paul mean when he said that Christians are "in Christ?" While this description might seem confusing, it is deeply significant to our past, present, and future. The post What does it mean to be “in Christ?” appeared first on Thomas Nelson Bibles ..read more

The story of Jesus and the grace He offers can be seen throughout the entire Bible. Let Max Lucado guide you through the Scriptures The post Seeing Jesus Throughout the Bible appeared first on Thomas Nelson Bibles ..read more

What does the Bible say about the roles of mothers and fathers? What does the Bible say about the couples facing infertility? The post What Does the Bible Say About Parenting? appeared first on Thomas Nelson Bibles ..read more

Much like the church at Corinth in Paul's time, today's churches have many problems. Here are lessons we can learn from Pauls letter The post How to Deal with Church Problems appeared first on Thomas Nelson Bibles ..read more

“His servants will worship him, and they will see his face” (Rev. 22:4, NET).  At the close of the canon of Scripture, the picture of the new heaven, the new earth, the new Jerusalem brings into focus the resolution of the entire story of God’s redemption of sinful man. This story began in a temple-garden where man walked with God. That is once again the reality portrayed at the end of the story. Human sin destroyed that reality, for God’s presence could not tolerate sin, but God provided a solution.  God’s Solution One could say that the Bible is, collectively, God’s revealed soluti ..read more

What is Faith? Faith is a work of God. “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”” – John 6:29 Faith is a gift from God to His people. “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9 Christians have been saved by grace. The grace of God is the source of salvation; faith is the channel, not the cause. God alone saves. Salvation never originates in the efforts of people; it always arises out of the lovingkindness of God. – from The N ..read more

The longer I study the Bible, the more I appreciate how challenging it can be to translate the text effectively, especially into English. Where we might have one word for a particular object or emotion, Greek might have four. They all mean the same thing, but they have nuances—a range of meanings that, together, give us a more comprehensive picture than our one English word can. Love is a great example of this. Throughout the Bible, there are several words that are translated as love. And the particularly studious among us might be inclined to dig into the nuances of those words. This can some ..read more

It’s just after sunrise in the middle of winter and I’m standing at a sink of dirty dishes. The fields are beginning to turn a faint blue under the gray morning sky. Snow is blowing up the hillside and I can hear the wind’s haunting cry on the back porch. With both kids still asleep, I try to still my heart before the day races ahead of me. Before the steps creak under their feet, before the phone starts ringing, before the coffee is even poured. I’ve already seen my husband off to work—watched his truck lights pull out of our snow-covered driveway. My hands plunge into the warm, soapy water a ..read more

It’s officially summertime. School’s out. Things get a little quieter around the office. Construction is everywhere. And, of course, stores have already run out of sunscreen! Whether it’s because the days are longer or it’s just really hot, the summer months tend to cause us to slow down. To take life a little bit easier, at least to a degree. But in our slowing down, as routines shift a little, sometimes the regular habits that we’ve developed fall by the wayside. Our time in Scripture is not immune to this. Vacations, house guests, VBS programs, and the desire to get an extra hour’s sleep ev ..read more

The story of Solomon is a dramatic one. He is the heir of the Davidic throne. David, his father, had received a direct covenant from God that his kingdom, his dynasty, would have no end:  “When the time comes for you to die, I will raise up your descendant, one of your own sons, to succeed you, and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a house for my name, and I will make his dynasty permanent. I will become his father and he will become my son” (2 Sam. 7:12–14, NET).  God’s Holy House David wanted to build an appropriate house for God to dwell in among His people. David saw it ..read more