Blog: January 2018

Jesus’ followers preached the gospel in Jerusalem, and the good news spread to places like Judea and Samaria. More and more people believed, and new churches began as both Jews and Gentiles began to follow Jesus. Barnabas went to Antioch—a city about 300 miles north of Jerusalem—where he brought Paul to help teach the believers. The church in Antioch grew. It was in Antioch that the disciples first became known as Christians. (See Acts 11:26.) The Holy Spirit told the believers at the church in Antioch to send out Paul and Barnabas to ...

The New Testament message about Jesus is stated in dualistic terms:  either we’re for him or against him; either we follow him on the road to life or abandon him to take the path of destruction.  There’s no half-hearted, half-way response to Jesus; lukewarm religion nauseates him (Rev. 3:16).  John’s Gospel brings this out:  with Jesus it’s light vs. darkness; sight vs. blindness; truth vs. lies; freedom vs. slavery. In John 3 it’s crystal clear that new birth is necessary:  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see ...

Saul was no stranger to religion. He grew up in a religious household. He was a devout Jew who was born in Tarsus (Phil. 3:5) and inherited his Roman citizenship from his father. So when people began talking about this man named Jesus and claiming that He was the promised Messiah, Saul was defensive. Saul believed strongly in the Jewish faith of his ancestors. He violently persecuted God’s church and tried to destroy it. (Gal. 1:13-14) He dragged believers from their houses and put them in prison. He approved of the stoning of Stephen, the ...

Being a Christian is not about what we deserve.  If it were, it would be terrifying.  The Bible and experience teach us that we’ve all shaken our fists at the Lord in stubborn rebellion (e.g., 1 Kings 8:46; Psalm 143:2; Romans 3:10-20, 23; 1 John 1:8, 10).  Defiance against the Holy God is an infinitely heinous crime deserving of an infinitely intense punishment.  And that is terrifying! In our culture we’re used to operating on the basis of deserving:  the grades we get, trying out for the team, getting a pro­motion, qualifying for a loan, ...

The apostle Peter preached and taught boldly after Pentecost. Jesus had commanded His followers to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Acts 10 shows us how God made clear to Peter that the gospel is for everyone—not only the Jews but also the Gentiles.  The story begins in Caesarea (SESS uh REE uh), the capital city in the Roman province of Judea. Cornelius, a Roman centurion, lived in Caesarea. Like many of the people in Caesarea, Cornelius was a Gentile; however, he did not worship the Roman gods. Cornelius worshiped the one true God, ...

I grew up going to Sunday School.  Every week our family went to church in time for Sunday School.  After class my sister and two brothers and I would converge in the “foyer” (we never called it a “lobby,” or a “narthex” for that matter) to find my parents and go get situated in the sanctuary for worship.  Sunday School was a fixture in my early relationship with God. But it wasn’t limited to children:  my home church had classes for everyone.  There was no point in time when a church-goer “outgrew” Sunday School—perish the thought!  From ...

Whether you’ve been a Christian for a long time, or you’re stepping out in faith to follow Jesus just now, or even if you’re not sure what to make of the extraordinary man from Nazareth, John’s Gospel will bring you face to face with Jesus Christ in all his love, wisdom, and spiritual power.  And he’ll reveal the way of life—the true and eternal life you were made for! Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).  God made us with a deep longing to ...

The Bible is foundational for the Christian life and for the fellowship of the church.  Scripture provides a stable, solid footing in this shifting 21st century world.  Who builds a house without first laying a firm foundation?  It’s essential.  A life that hears and follows Jesus’ teaching is a life built on the solid rock of God’s truth (Matthew 7:24-27). Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).  So just think:  God’s Word is our life—it’s how we survive ...

Stephen was one of the seven men chosen to serve as leaders in the early church at Jerusalem. (See Acts 6:1-7.) God blessed Stephen and gave him power to do wonders and miracles like some of the apostles. Some of the Jews accused Stephen of blasphemy and dragged him to the Sanhedrin, a group of Jewish leaders who acted as a legal council. Stephen addressed the group. He drew from the Jewish history, which the leaders in the Sanhedrin would have known well. But Stephen taught from the Old Testament things the Jewish leaders had likely never ...