Sunday Follow-up“Saved by grace and now free to show grace”This Sunday we were in Acts 15. In this chapter one of the most important meetings in church history takes place in Jerusalem. The purpose of this meeting was to settle the issue of who can be saved and how. Gentile believers in the church in Antioch were being told by believers from the party of the Pharisees in Jerusalem that they weren’...  Read More

A godly life – John NorthPsalm 37:3-4, 10-11, 16Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.… Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; and you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abund...  Read More

A Prayer to Forsake Following Your HeartBy Emily Rose Massey“Trust in the Lord with all your heart,And lean not on your own understanding;In all your ways acknowledge Him,And He shall direct[a] your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV).Shortly after college graduation, I became a born-again believer in Jesus Christ; I repented of my sin and surrendered my life to Christ, committing to take up my cross and...  Read More

Think with Discernment, Part Two – Chuck SwindollDiscernment is essential. Undiscerning love spawns and invites more heresy than any of us are ready to believe. One of the tactics of survival when facing "the flaming arrows of the evil one" (Ephesians 6:16) is to make certain we have cinched up the belt of truth rather tightly around ourselves. And what helps us do battle with the enemy also stren...  Read More

Think with Discernment, Part One – Chuck SwindollThere is a Persian proverb that sounds more like a tongue twister than sound advice. My high school speech teacher had us memorize it for obvious reasons:He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool; shun him.He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a child; teach him.He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep; wak...  Read More

The School of Hard Knocks – Chuck SwindollConsistent interaction with God’s Word, regular time spent with a godly mentor, and a choice group of friends all combine to give us the greatest opportunity for growth in wisdom. To these, I would add one more suggestion.Pay close attention to life’s reproofs.Wisdom shouts in the street,She lifts her voice in the square;At the head of the noisy streets sh...  Read More

Sunday follow-upActs 13:42 – Acts 14:28I started yesterday’s teaching by sharing how following Jesus is easy when life is good. And how sharing the gospel is easy when people want to listen. But as we all know, life isn’t always easy, and many don’t want to hear about Jesus. So, what do we do? Press on no matter what.We looked at 3 places Paul and Barnabas visited on Paul’s first missionary trip. ...  Read More

One Encounter Can Change EverythingBy Rachael Adams“Now He had to go through Samaria….Jesus, tired as He was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon” (John 4:4-6).My first job out of college was as a community liaison for the government. I was responsible for a large region, and I had a long list of contacts in various communities across the eastern part of the state. With so muc...  Read More

Holy as He Is HolyForward with Back to the BibleRead Leviticus 20:7-8 (ESV)“Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. Keep my statutes and do them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you.”ReflectYou probably already know that God demands holiness. But have you ever been able to meet God’s standard of holiness without His help?When you first became a believer in Christ, d...  Read More

How Much Gratitude Is Enough?By Aaron D’Anthony Brown“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)How Much Gratitude Is Enough?Has there ever been a person who existed that was so grateful they annoyed people by just how grateful they were? Maybe. Would you describe yourself as that sort of person? Maybe not....  Read More

Seasoned in Prayerby Rev. Kyle Norman“When Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened to Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” (Daniel 6:10)The Book of Daniel is filled with exciting tales. Daniel stands before kings proclaiming the sovereignty of Go...  Read More

In Times of Blessing – Chuck SwindollPsalm 149 is one of five "praise the Lord" psalms that conclude the Hebrews' ancient hymnal. Like the other four, it begins with the command "Hallelujah!" leading to a time of exalting God's goodness. In this case, the people of God are summoned to praise Him in response to three different situations: times of blessing, times of suffering, and times of warfare....  Read More