When We Understand The Text
In Matthew 5:3, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Is that what Jesus said? Blessed are the poor? No, He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” But you probably hear it the other way more often than you hear it the right way. “Wwutt?! In Luke …
In Matthew 5:3, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Is that what Jesus said? Blessed are the poor? No, He said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” but you probably hear it the other way more often than you hear it the right way. The poor in …
Ephesians 5:22 says, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” “Whoa! Time out!” the egalitarian interrupts. “The verse right before it says, ‘Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.’ And verse 25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church.” So a husband must submit, too! Well, …
The seeker-sensitive or seeker-driven movement is an evangelism strategy following the idea that everyone is searching for something and what they are really seeking is God. So a church, in an effort to be “all things to all people” (1 Corinthians 9:22), will arrange their Sunday gathering to cater to the interests of seekers. …
“When God closes a door, He opens a window.” Log that one among everyone’s favorite Bible verses not found in the Bible. Where does this saying come from anyway? Well, you can thank Rogers and Hammerstein for the phrase the way we have it. In “The Sound of Music,” the main character Maria says, …
You know the story of David and Bathsheba, right? David took a walk on his roof one afternoon, and saw Bathsheba bathing. So he had her brought to him and spent the night with her. Bathsheba sent word to David that she was pregnant. So to cover the affair, David had her husband Uriah …
Cleanliness is next to godliness. It’s true! Psalm 51:10 says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” James 4:8 says, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your hearts you double-minded.” Now the phrase itself, …
In Genesis 9, after the world perished in the flood, God blessed Noah and his family and told them to fill the earth. The sons of Noah were Shem, Ham, and Japheth, from whom all nations are descended. Noah planted a vineyard, and one day he drank some of the wine and got smashed, …
In Matthew 16, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And …
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” This reference to “gates of hell” is often taken to mean that any attempt of Satan to mount an attack against the church will not succeed. Now, that’s certainly true, and history testifies. Two …
“Money is the root of all evil” is not in the Bible. Come on, you can think of sins you’ve done money had nothing to do with. Money is not evil. People are. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this …
In Mark 6:1-6, Jesus went with his disciples to His hometown of Nazareth. And on the Sabbath He began to teach in the synagogue. Many who heard Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to Him? How are such mighty works done by His hands? …