January 1, 2025

Different Perspectives

Shadows

Each person has a different background, upbringing, life experience, education, and so on. Therefore, we approach things with a unique perspective. Because of this, people can look at one event, fact, or piece of information and react very differently. A simple example of this is in the realm of sports. A fan of one team can watch a game with a fan of the opposing team, and though there is just one outcome (one team wins the game), one fan will celebrate while the other is disappointed.

Following the Babylonian captivity, God’s people assembled in Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. When the foundation of the temple was completed, two contradictory reactions were made to it.

“Now when the builders had laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the Lord according to the directions of King David of Israel. They sang, praising and giving thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘For He is good, for His lovingkindness is upon Israel forever.’ And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. Yet many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers’ households, the old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, while many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not distinguish the sound of the shout of joy from the sound of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard far away” (Ezra 3:10-13).

This is an example of people viewing an event from different perspectives and reacting accordingly. Those who had never seen the first temple shouted for joy. Those who had seen the first temple and knew from personal experience the difference between the two wept.

This was not a matter of right and wrong. The people who rejoiced were not wrong to do so, nor was it wrong for the ones who wept to react the way they did. Yet the need at that moment was to build the new temple. Their different perspectives were understandable and were even fine to have as long as they did not hinder them from doing the work the Lord wanted them to do.Continue Reading

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November 20, 2024

Spiritual Disciplines

Bible and Notebook

“But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers” (1 Timothy 4:7-10).

People often talk about developing good habits, such as eating healthy, exercising regularly, and reading more books. Turning worthwhile practices into habits can be incredibly helpful because it allows us to do the good things we intend to do without having to decide to do so each time. This does not mean the practice becomes automatic, but we are much more likely to do good when we have made it a habit.

This can also benefit our spiritual lives, helping us grow to spiritual maturity. As Paul pointed out in the passage above, this is much more important than any discipline we develop in this life. However, to have effective habits, we need to be intentional about them and willing to put in the effort to actually DO them.

Also, these habits we can put in place to develop spiritually are things that each one of us can do, whether someone is a new convert, has recently been restored to the faith, or has been faithfully serving the Lord for decades. At the same time, no one can do these things for us.

So let us consider some spiritual disciplines – regular practices that will help our spiritual development and produce godliness in our lives. For each one, we see what the Lord expects of us, the benefits we gain from these practices, our personal responsibility to engage in each one, and some practical ways to help us stay consistent in doing them.Continue Reading

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July 17, 2024

Lessons for the Young (and the Not-So-Young)

Young Man Reading Bible

“My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body” (Proverbs 4:20-22).

In the book of Proverbs, the wise man sought to impart wisdom to his son. It is natural for one to want to help his children or other young people in this way. As we get older, we have lessons that have been shared with us by others, knowledge we have learned on our own, and wisdom we have gained from our experiences. The wise man of the book of Proverbs – as well as the others who wrote the words we can read in the Scriptures – had these words revealed to them by God (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13). Therefore, the lessons we find in the Bible are particularly important.

So, what lessons are needed for young people today? We are going to briefly notice a few examples from the Scriptures. As was the case with the wise man’s words to his son in the book of Proverbs, these instructions are not just for young people. All of these instructions are good for both the young and the not-so-young. Let us consider seven lessons here.Continue Reading

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January 3, 2024

Renewed Day by Day

Sunrise

“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).

Many see the start of a new year as a time of renewal – an opportunity to change the direction of their lives, to improve themselves in some way, and so on. The basic idea of this is good. However, as with all things, we need to think about it Biblically.

There are a few passages in the New Testament that talk about being renewed. When it is mentioned in the Bible, it is not tied to a certain day on the calendar. It is also not about just anything that might be new in our lives (new job, diet, exercise routine, etc.). Instead, the renewal discussed in the New Testament is always about improving our spiritual lives.

In this article, we will consider what the New Testament says about renewal – when it happens, what it means, and what the result of it is in our lives.Continue Reading

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December 21, 2023

Onward and Upward (12.21.23)

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Plain Bible Teaching Podcast

We’re nearing the end of the year, which has a lot of people looking for ways to improve their lives and make changes for the better. As Christians, we always need to be doing this – especially from a spiritual standpoint. When Paul wrote to the brethren in Philippi, he talked about pressing on toward the goal. What does that mean for us? We’re going to touch on some points in our episode today.Continue Reading

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January 4, 2023

Pressing On Toward the Goal

Mountain Path

At the start of the new year, we focus a lot on goals we want to reach in the future. We may set goals regarding our health, work, or relationships. All of these may be good, but we need to make sure we never lose sight of what should be our primary goal. In writing about his goal to “attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:11), Paul said this:

“Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).

In these verses, Paul described three things that he was doing and that we also need to do as Christians. Let us consider them here.Continue Reading

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November 30, 2022

“God Helps Those Who Help Themselves”

An angel defeats the Assyrian army

At least for those of us who live in the United States, we have all likely heard this phrase at some point: “God helps those who help themselves.” This statement is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). It is also sometimes cited as an example of a phrase that people mistakenly think is in the Bible.

To be clear, this phrase is NOT in the Bible. However, the principle absolutely is. In order to take full advantage of what God offers to us, we must do what we are able to do.

We can see this concept when we read of the example of King Hezekiah and the actions he took when the Assyrian army invaded Judah and intended to make war with Jerusalem. Notice what the Scripture records:Continue Reading

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