John 6:68 (ESV) 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, These words of Peter followed a mass exodus of disciples of Christ who became offended by what He was teaching.  Instead of apologizing for the truth that He taught, Jesus turned to the apostles and asked them if they would go away as well (John 6:67).  Peter realized that if he and the other apostles wanted to be saved, there was no one else to whom they could turn. The Bible is clear—Jesus is the only way to heaven.  It does not matter how unpopular this truth may be, i ..read more

Romans 8:1 (ESV) 1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The word “now” in Romans 8:1 covers the whole of the dispensation of Christ.  In this final dispensation, sin can be overcome and salvation can be secured because Jesus has condemned sin in the flesh (8:4).  Now, for those in Christ, there is “no condemnation.” This is a great contrast from the first covenant God made with His people.  Under the law of Moses, condemnation was all but guaranteed because it could not free a person from sin. Acts 13:38–39 (ESV) 38 Let it be known to you the ..read more

Ephesians 4:26 (ESV) 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, Everyone gets angry sometimes.  The key is to get angry without sinning.  This great verse reminds us that anger in itself is not sinful.  When Jesus saw money changers in the temple area, it made Him mad. John 2:14–17 (ESV) 14 In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money changers and overtur ..read more

The word justified means to declare one to be just, righteous, or not guilty.  There are two ways for one to be justified in the eyes of God.  First, if one lives a perfect life apart from sin, God would view this person as just.  However, no one, except our Lord Jesus Christ, has ever been justified on that basis because we all have sinned (Romans 3:9-23).  Because of this sin, the New Testament clearly teaches that man is not justified by law, that is, by the perfect and flawless keeping of any law (Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16; 3:10-11).  Second, one can be justified ..read more

John 1:14 (ESV) 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. The day the Word, Jesus Christ, became flesh was one of the greatest days in human history.  The only other days that are comparable to it are the days when Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification. The significance of the Word becoming flesh cannot be overstated.  If Jesus was not willing to make such a sacrifice, we would have no hope of salvation.  The need for Jesus to give up His heavenly estate f ..read more

1 Peter 4:11 (NKJV) 11If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. While this entire verse is very important, as is the rest of God’s Word, it is the first statement in it that continues to be timelessly important.  Faithful Christians have always advocated that we speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent.  Why?  Because to do anything else ..read more

Philippians 2:5 (KJV) 5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: There was a 2001 film entitled, “A Beautiful Mind,” about a mathematical genius by the name of John Forbes Nash played by Russell Crowe.  I did not see the movie so I cannot offer any insight into the mind of John Nash, but I can say the most beautiful mind you could ever have is the mind of Christ. Philippians 2:5 reminds us of what it means to be a Christian.  As Christians, we must be as much like Christ as we can be, and that begins with learning to have the same attitude and disposition in our daily ..read more

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