Dive Deeper

On a recent mission trip, I was asked to lead a morning devotional for a youth group outing.  Being young and impressionable, at that stage of life when one must figure out who one is, I knew that I wanted to speak to these kids about identity.  I reviewed scriptures I knew on the subject,…

Before Jesus Christ came to Earth to fulfill the requirement for our eternal redemption, many pictures of salvation were painted in scripture by the hand of God as He saved his people in one way or another.  One of these pictures occurred very early in our history when the Lord saved Noah, his family, and…

Some see the first day of a new year as nothing special.  To them, it is just another Sunday or another Tuesday.  The life they led before that day does not change simply because the clock has struck twelve.  For others, the new year brings hope for a positive difference.  Whatever problems or issues they…

There are many things which distinguish our one true God from the plethora of false gods out there.  Whether his love, his mercy, his truth or anything else about him, the biggest distinction from other gods is his permanence.  He is the God who endures, and everything about him endures as well.  His precepts never…

One of the clearest and most compelling statements made by Jesus was that He did not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them. [Mt. 5:17-20]  This statement should have perked the listeners’ ears and made them look for how He could fulfill prophecy.  We know now that Jesus fulfilled hundreds…

A central theme in the book of Jeremiah is idolatry. Through his prophecies and prayers, he begins to flesh out the intricacies of this sin. In reading this book, we learn the roots, purposes, and consequences of placing any idol before God. A critical component to our remaining faithful to him is having a right…

It is a goal to which we all aspire.  In reviewing scripture, we see that God speaks to his people, and we want him to speak to us as well.  It is this direct guidance that gives us confidence that we are on the right track in life.  However, hearing from God does not always…

As we watch the tug-of-war between good and evil over the souls of humanity, the battle between flesh and spirit, between truth and a lie, the result is based on choice.  Each of us has a decision to make, but that does not mean that we always have an option to change our decision.  The…

If we study the scriptures carefully, we will see that our Lord is one who takes measure.  It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that faith, obedience, and love are things we possess and exercise in full or simply lack completely.  It is easy to think that these are all or nothing. …

History is replete with people who have idolized themselves and tried to be gods.  We also have seen those who claim to be Christ returned.  In fact, we have several false Christs walking the Earth today in Asia and Australia.  Although we are to emulate the character of God, to be transformed to his likeness…