As we look at church today, is there a place for signs and wonders? Should we still be looking for them?

Communion is only for believers in Jesus Christ. The Bible does not say you must be baptized to receive communion, and I won’t say it either.

Before Jesus went to the cross, one of the last prayers he prayed was that we would be one. Obviously, he knew this would be a problem. Over two thousand years have passed since Jesus prayed that prayer. While the church has been a lot of things during that timeframe, unfortunately, being one has not always been one of those things.

The truth is we don’t feel to love, we will to love. If love was based on our feelings or emotions, then love would be unstable, unsteady, and unpredictable. Your love would change from day to day and moment to moment just as your emotions do. Since love is based on your will, that means whether you love someone is a matter of choice. 

There are plenty of Bible verses and stories about money, often focusing on those who are generous. But in this lesser-known parable, is Jesus angry at the rich man? As with all passages, it's important to look at the context. Let's see what Jesus is, and is not, saying in this story.

For a married couple in a sexually monogamous relationship, there is nothing wrong with using birth control. I have yet to find a Scripture that can justify making the statement that using birth control is a sin. I will leave room for people to have different opinions about this topic, but if we are talking in a marital context, the question comes down to one of preference, not of right or wrong.

The purpose of any study Bible is to take you deeper into the Scriptures so you can broaden your knowledge and understanding of Scripture. The ESV Study Bible checks this box and fulfills that objective.

Have you uttered any of these statements in the last few months? "I’m tired." "I need a break." "I could really use some time off." "I wish I had just one more hour of sleep." Or even, "I am so ready for a vacation." For some, like my wife, it might be, "I could use a massage right now." 

These statements are indicators you need rest. The challenge is we live in a world that often runs at an exhausting pace, and the last thing we want to do is rest because we feel there is so much more to do. While you might think there is something noble in that, the truth tells us something different. God, in his wisdom, commands us to rest, and the benefits of rest are not just a luxury, they are really a necessity.

As we consider this topic, I want to be both spiritual and practical because, as you will see, lack of rest is clearly not in your best interest.

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The word “tribulation” means severe trial or suffering, and the Great Tribulation is a time of God’s judgment for man’s rebellion. This period, which lasts seven years, begins with the rapture of the church (more on this later) and during this time God will complete his discipline of Israel and final judgment upon the unbelieving citizens of the world.

The sacrifices of bulls and goats, while necessary under the Old Testament law, were only temporary measures. They could cover sin for a time but were incapable of removing it. Something greater was needed.

If there ever was a term that you could say is a loaded term, good Christian just might be it. After all what does it mean to be a good Christian anyway?

What we find in the story of the Widow's Mite is that the heart you give with is far more important than the amount you give.

It is impossible to truly think about Christianity without thinking about Christ, after all he is the foundation of it all. As I have thought about Christianity lately and what it looks like, I have begun to wonder how the message that Jesus preached aligns with the Christianity that we profess today. Does it in any way resemble what Jesus modeled for us?

If we really do a self-examination with Scripture as the judge, I believe we may realize that we are coming up short. There simply are some hard truths about Christianity that have either lost their popularity or, to be honest, we have forgotten them or chosen to ignore them. For this reason, I want to remind you of some of these hard truths about Christianity and pray that you and I will never forget them.

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Communion, which can also be known as the Eucharist or The Lord’s Supper, is a time when we come together to commemorate the death of Jesus for our sins. To celebrate this, we will take a bread element and a wine element. Collectively as one body, we eat and drink together while remembering the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for us.