The first example we will consider in this series is Abram. He displayed courage when God called him to leave home and go to an unknown land which the Lord would show to him.
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September 23, 2013
Abram: The Courage to Leave Home
September 18, 2013
Not Getting Anything Out of the Assembly
“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord’” (Psalm 122:1).
David expressed the attitude that we must have when it comes to assembling to worship the Lord – gladness. The assembly of the saints ought to be something to which we look forward.
Unfortunately, many do not look forward to this time. But rather than acknowledging their own poor attitude and making efforts to change their mindset, they often attempt to shift the blame to others. They will say, “I’m not getting anything out of the assembly!” In their minds, this provides justification for them to complain, become sporadic in their attendance, or quit assembling altogether.
In this article, we will focus on the attitude of one who claims to be getting nothing out of the assembly of the church. It is a dangerous attitude and we must guard ourselves against it.
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September 16, 2013
Audio: Talking Back to God
Talking back is a phrase used to describe one who verbally challenges a parent, elder, or superior. When Malachi prophesied, the people were guilty of talking back to God (ex: Malachi 3:13). Several times in this short book, the people openly challenged God’s statements/rebukes. In this lesson, we will briefly consider the examples of the people talking back to God so that we might learn not to do the same.
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September 16, 2013
Take Courage: Introduction
In concluding His final address to the apostles before His arrest, Jesus told them to be courageous in the face of the hardships that would be coming against them.
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Courage is the confidence and conviction to do what one knows to be right, regardless of the consequences. The apostles needed courage to carry out the Lord’s instructions without being deterred by the persecution that awaited them.
As Christians, we also need to have courage today. The Lord has left instructions for us to follow. We are to “observe all that [Christ] commanded” (Matthew 28:20). Furthermore, we are warned that we will become targets by following the Lord’s instructions. Paul said, “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
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September 12, 2013
New Series: Take Courage
Lord willing, I plan to start a new series here on this site beginning on Monday – Take Courage: Lessons from 8 Men of Faith.
We live in difficult times. It can be tempting for Christians to compromise their principles and abandon their faith. Yet, as Jesus told His apostles, we must take courage (John 16:33). We must stand for the truth and do what is right even when we might suffer for it.
In order to see how we can take courage today, we will examine eight men of faith over the course of ten lessons. As we examine each example, we will see different ways in which courage must be displayed. The lesson schedule is below:
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September 11, 2013
Who Calls You a Christian?
If you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? That question, or a variation of it, has been asked many times in order to remind us all of the importance of letting our lights shine (Matthew 5:16), being ready to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15), and defending the truth (Philippians 1:16-17). We need to live in such a way that others can see Christ living in us (Galatians 2:20).
However, while the question raised in the first paragraph is good, there is another point that is just as important for us to consider. Just because the world sees you as a Christian, that does not necessarily mean that God sees you that way, too. To illustrate this point, notice what Paul said about the adulteress in his letter to the Romans:
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September 4, 2013
Testing God
The Hebrew writer quoted the psalmist’s description of the Israelites testing God in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:7-11; cf. Psalm 95:7-11). Testing God is directly connected to one’s faith. Immediately after mentioning the Israelites testing God, the Hebrew writer warned about the danger of “an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God” (Hebrews 3:12). He closed the chapter with a statement about the “unbelief” exhibited by those who tested God (Hebrews 3:19).
In this article, we will briefly consider three examples given in Scripture that show how one can be guilty of testing God. After noting these examples, we will also consider the severe consequences of testing God so we might learn not to do this ourselves.
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