Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is… joyRichard Dawkins, a well-known atheist, has decried the fact that the cultural Christian influence that once existed in England has been disintegrating over the years, and in its place is a militant Islam that continues to spread throughout Europe and especially England. But he really is saddened by the cultural Christian influences that seem to b...  Read More

Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love…In our journey through the series "Empowered Living," we delve into what it means to live a Spirit-filled life. This week, we focus on the love as described in 1 Corinthians 13. This chapter, often referred to as the "love chapter," provides a picture of the kind of love that God wants for us to express. God’s love in us should be more than just...  Read More

Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…As Christians, we often grapple with expectations—both from others and ourselves. But what does God want us to look like? Romans 8:29 tells us that we are predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son - Jesus. Philippians 1:6 assures us that He w...  Read More

Isaiah 40:27-31 offers timeless wisdom on how to access God’s strength in our daily lives. Isaiah 40 paints a somber picture of Israel's history. After the fall of the northern kingdom in 722 BC and the Babylonian captivity in 586 BC, the people of God found themselves in exile, questioning if God had forgotten them. They were promised a land flowing with milk and honey, yet they were now displace...  Read More

For contextual background, read the previous blogpost: “Does the Bible Endorse Slavery?” 1 Peter 2:18–20 (NKJV) 18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. 19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. 20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you...  Read More

1 Peter 2:18–20 (NKJV)18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh.19 For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully.20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is comme...  Read More

Whose image do we bear? How should that impact our lives?God said in Genesis 1:26 that He uniquely made men and women “in His image.” He didn’t say that about the plant life or the animal kingdom. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God,” and we reflect on the goodness of God when we look around and the splendor of His creation. However, men and women are uniquely made in God’s imag...  Read More

God said in Genesis 1:26 that He uniquely made men and women “in His image.” He didn’t say that about the plant life or the animal kingdom. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God,” and we reflect on the goodness of God when we look around and the splendor of His creation. However, men and women are uniquely made in God’s image. We will find our purpose as we celebrate the image of ...  Read More

God said in Genesis 1:26 that He uniquely made men and women “in His image.” He didn’t say that about the plant life or the animal kingdom. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God,” and we reflect on the goodness of God when we look around and the splendor of His creation. However, men and women are uniquely made in God’s image. We will find our purpose as we celebrate the image of ...  Read More

Just the word “submission” likely makes some of you reading this bristle. “I don’t want to hear about that,” may be a thought that is running through your mind. Don’t resist or reject what the Bible commands. 1 Peter 2:13 clearly commands “submit yourself to every ordinance of man, for the Lord’s sake.”The word "submission" simply means "being under," or being willing to cooperate with another. It...  Read More

God has established structures of authority in all areas of life. Government is one of His established structures.  1 Peter 2:13–14 says, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme,  or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good.” Peter wrote for Christians to ...  Read More

1 Peter 2:13a (NKJV) - Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake…The middle letter of sin is “I”, and our own rebellion and stubbornness is the problem keeping us from biblical submission. Right after prophetically describing how Jesus would be punished for our sins (Isaiah 53:3-5), verse 6 says, “All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own wa...  Read More