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January 10, 2025
God has revealed Himself and His redemptive plan in history via the Bible. Within the Bible are the various doctrines about God Himself, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, man, sin, the church, salvation, and eschatology. The Bible therefore defines doctrine as the biblical teaching about all it includes.
January 10, 2025
The work done by a stay-at-home mom is not easy by any stretch of the imagination. It’s hard, yet it’s fruitful because it’s eternal work. If you get anxious (and you will), pray to our Lord, who is at hand. He’s never far from you. Let Him know how you’re doing and what you need.
January 9, 2025
Most all of us love to get a fun gift. But does the Bible have anything to say about this practice, and can it actually be used to glorify God?
January 8, 2025
Throughout the next four weeks, we will spend our five weekdays learning what Jude means, and how we are to contend for the faith. Parts of the text of Jude are disputed as to their meaning, but we will focus on the big picture in our study — that is, how each part of the book teaches us to contend for the faith.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Traitov
December 10, 2024
Christmas carols permeate the air throughout November and December. Radio stations and streaming services are quick to create holiday stations which include Christian-themed music. When making your playlist, what are the most biblical Christmas carols you can add?
We offer a small list of twelve favorites from the public domain. May all who sing them bring praise to the Lord.
Author: Charles Wesley. Altered by George Whitefield
This beloved Christmas carol may be the most theologically ordered hymn in Christendom. Charles Wesley, who wrote over 6,500 hymns (yes, 6,500!) during his life as a Christian, wrote “Hark! The Herald” within a year of his conversion to Christianity.
How theologically full are the lyrics which give meaning to the melody written by Mendelssohn (#51171). Through its three stanzas, which describe Jesus Christ, Wesley presents the gospel. His friend, George Whitefield, made an alteration to the second verse when he replaced, “Hark how all the Welkin rings” to “Glory to the Newborn King.” It was a change which affected even Wesley, for in a later hymnal, Whitefield’s verse replaced his own.
Sample Lyrics:
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King:
peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
with th'angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Scripture References:
No less than forty Scripture passages are indicated in this Christmas carol. The Gospels represented include:
Matthew 1:18-25
Matthew 2:1-2, 13-14
Matthew 20:28
Luke 1:33-35, 77-79
Luke 2
Luke 4: 4:18
Luke 24:46-51
John 1:1-26
John 3:1-17
John 8:12
John 10:10
John 11:25-26
Photo credit: Unsplash/David Beale
December 2, 2024
Leading with hospitality is vital for church unity. Our reputation as a hospitable church is not for ourselves; it serves to make much of the Lord Jesus, and we pray it welcomes many into the kingdom.
November 22, 2024
God has a purpose for everything He does, and each feast served a specific purpose. Without exception, every feast pointed to its fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ.
November 21, 2024
The Old Testament contains over 350 prophecies about and fulfilled by Jesus Christ. As we reflect and praise God for Jesus coming to save us during this advent season, we’ll consider a few Old Testament verses that find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
The Bible reveals God’s redemptive plan for humanity, and it centers on Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Because God fulfills all His promises and prophecies, we can anticipate with confidence what He says will come to pass. As we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth, part of our preparation should include reading what the Old Testament says about Jesus.
Following are 24 Old Testament passages and their references to the corresponding New Testament fulfillments in Christ Jesus.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/jacoblund
October 24, 2024
This Bible study is structured to have 30 days of Scripture study so that you can end around the Thanksgiving holiday if you choose.
October 22, 2024
God’s hatred is altogether different from what humanity hates. We understand God’s hatred according to His holiness and justice, two of His vital traits. God is a divine Being with standards that accord with His attributes. Anything or anyone who willfully rejects, hates, or ignores His standards incurs His hate.
October 18, 2024
With the plethora of “Be kind’ notices seemingly everywhere, one would think people get the meaning of being kind. But without the wholeness of knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and lacking the presence of the Holy Spirit within them, a person in an unregenerate state will never come to a full understanding of kindness as it’s meant to be lived.
September 25, 2024
How does God keep everyone’s praises and prayers straight? How does He hear them all? And, in a personal nature, how do I know He hears me?
September 19, 2024
Every time believers celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Communion), we look in remembrance of what Jesus did on the cross, and we look forward to the time when Jesus will drink the promised cup of wine with us at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Matthew 26:29).
September 17, 2024
When we become Christians, we are no longer living for ourselves; we are living for the Lord. Therefore, we need to discover God’s purpose for us, and the Bible has much to say about that. We, in effect, have one main purpose, and many other facets which support and accentuate our chief goal.