Category Archives: Encouragement

What part of life is religious?

How much of life is religious, and how much is not? How much has to do with God, and how much does not? Is “church time” the religious part, and outside church, life is not? A response of Jesus addressed … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Pharisee in Church

The frequent run-ins between Jesus and the Pharisees were a clash between the Pharisee’s preoccupation with external things and Jesus’ emphasis on the spiritual kingdom. The Pharisees were interested in keeping their status quo, the rigid forms of religious law, … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Bible and Atheist agree: Blind Faith is Wrong

The popular meaning for faith is to believe something without proof. This is the “popular” meaning, and as with the meanings of several other words, it doesn’t match up with its meaning used in the Bible. For instance, the popular … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Armor of God Series: the Belt of Truth

“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness” (Eph. 6:14). With the truth, we are seeing things as they really are. The truth is not just facts, but facts acted on. … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Faith to Endure Hardship

In Hebrews 11, we are introduced to a series of individuals who were known for their faith. Noah prepared an ark, expecting a flood. Abraham moved out of his country at the word of God, not knowing where he was … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Clean Conscience At Last

At the coming of Jesus, God introduced something new. With the death, burial, and resurrection of the Christ, God creates a new covenant with believers that results in a clean conscience. The tenth chapter of Hebrews explains this feature of … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

“Love your neighbor as yourself”

Jesus told us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves in Mark 12:31. Some people have said that they cannot love their neighbor as they ought because they do not love themselves. On the contrary, the Bible is clear … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement | Leave a comment

The Salvation of the Soul

What is the salvation of the soul, and what does it look like? The first few verses of 1 Peter chapter one give us a strong sense of this salvation and then concludes with, “receiving the end of your faith … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Neglected Deliverance

We tend to seek the Lord’s deliverance when we get into personal trouble. But there is a deliverance that keeps us out of the trouble in the first place. Which would you like – to fall into trouble and try … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Faith and the Spirit’s Leading

What is faith? A definition is in order. What is faith? If faith means to believe something without proof, as many claim, then how is it different from blind faith? What I find funny is that those who dislike faith … Continue reading →

Posted in Encouragement | Tagged , , | Leave a comment