Barbara Latta

Chaos, strife, and mayhem permeate the world. And all because of a piece of fruit.

Well, it does go a little deeper than that, but the tree’s enticement was the catalyst that began the downfall of mankind.

The Bible is filled with stories of women who influenced God’s kingdom. Sarah was the mother of Isaac whose descendants produced the Messiah. Esther saved the Jews, and Deborah led Israel to victorious battles.

The New Testament tells us of Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptizer, Mary Magdalene, and Priscilla, a woman who along with her husband, gave aid to Paul and helped preach the message of redemption to numbers of people.

But two women in Scripture left a legacy that has affected the future of the earth’s inhabitants, Eve and Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Each woman’s decision left eternal consequences—one sowed pain for all humanity and one gave birth to the path of redemption.

How can we contrast Eve’s disobedience with Mary’s obedience?

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The Lord called for memorials and celebrations to occur on multiple occasions throughout history. Joshua commanded a member of each tribe to take a stone and set it up on the banks of the Jordan River after they crossed to recognize their victory in entering the Promised Land. 

Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed the Jordan the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever. (Joshua 4: 5-7 NIV)

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September 11th is a day that still stirs our hearts with sorrow, remembrance, and gratitude. As we honor the lives lost, we also lift up the brave first responders and everyday heroes who step into danger with courage and compassion. Firefighters, police officers, medical professionals, and rescue teams—these men and women embody sacrifice, showing us what it means to serve others selflessly.

But they, too, need covering in prayer. This special Prayer Guide for First Responders helps give you six prayers for their strength, protection, and peace. Each prayer is rooted in Scripture and designed to guide you as you remember not only the tragedy of September 11th, but also the ongoing faithfulness of those who still serve today.

Download your free prayer guide PDF below, and join us in lifting up the heroes who remind us that even in the darkest moments, light still shines through.

How can we keep our study time from growing stale or keep our minds from assuming we already know what Scripture says? Here are seven ways to refresh our Bible study.

Have you ever wondered why Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, was chosen as the tribe that the Messiah would descend from? Out of twelve sons, why was Judah the chosen one?

Our daily Bible readings give us spiritual food and help us know the God who created us. But when we encounter the difficult passages, it is easy to skim over them due to some theological questions we don’t have the answers to. The account of Job is considered one of those hot topics we toss around.

Why did God allow Satan to afflict Job?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

We can have as many answers as we have questions, and we will never know the definitive reason for the book of Job until Jesus takes us home to live with Him forever (Deuteronomy 29:29). But because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling in us now, we are given more spiritual insight than Job and his contemporaries had. 

These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:10)

Theories abound regarding the time on the historical calendar of Job’s difficulties with some placing Job as a contemporary of Abraham. These conclusions arise because there is no mention of a Hebraic law or any kind of covenant between the Lord and mankind established yet. Job is also considered the oldest biblical manuscript.

This could give us some insight into how Satan was able to afflict Job. Adam gave away his rights to dominate the realm where he lived when he sinned, and Satan became the ruler of this world.

1 Peter 5:8 NIV tells us, Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 

But unlike Job we now have the authority of Christ to resist our spiritual enemy. Job didn’t have any way to overcome these adversities. Some scholars present the theory that Job didn’t even know it was the devil causing his distress because in his day the people attributed all happenings to the Almighty. 

Ancient peoples are referred to at times as uneducated and ignorant in comparison to our modern existence, but wisdom from the writings in Job can divulge how smart our biblical ancestors were. In fact, smarter than some scientists and professors today. 

These 8 overlooked things in the book of Job can show us how much knowledge and intelligence early man had about the world he lived in, and how this revelation came to him from the wisdom of God.

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As long as a woman feeling led to contribute to a church meeting respects the authority of the pastorate, she can scripturally teach. Also, a married woman would need to agree with her husband about her teaching role to prevent strife and discord in the home. When these two conditions are met, the Bible gives us four reasons women can be leaders in the church.