Finding Hope Even in the Grief of Losing Life

Facing the loss of one’s life can be painful. On the night before His death, Jesus sobbed “loud cries and tears” in the garden and “offered up prayers and supplications… to Him who was able to save Him from death” (Heb 5:7; cf. Matt 26:36–46). 

Losing a loved one is painful as well. Sometimes the news of someone’s passing can be too much to bear. When the sinful Phinehas died and the ark of the covenant was captured, upon hearing the news, his father Eli fell over from grie

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Enough! (Part 2 of 2)

Last week, we considered from Philippians 3:4–11 and 4:11–13 that contentment is found in Christ. When we know Him, His righteousness, His power for living, and have hope in the coming resurrection, it is enough. We can never say “it is enough” because of something earthly, whether it be our position or the possessions of this life. 

Continuing on, this week is just a short consideration of one further point. 

Paul knew his life and future with Christ was enough. Take his wo

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Enough! (Part 1 of 2)

A reporter once asked John D. Rockefeller, “How much money is enough?” The world’s first billionaire gave his famous reply: “Just a little bit more.”

Rockefeller’s answer strikes a chord in every heart. There is something in us that, even if we were to be given a billion dollars, we would still say, “Just a little bit more.” Left to ourselves, we would never be able to say, “It is enough.”

Enough. When is anything ever enough? Can you say of yourself and your situation, “It

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Gabriel: Israel’s Messenger of the Coming Messiah

Gabriel appears four times in Scripture. In each instance, he gives a message about the Messiah and other events to come. In the first instance, he appeared to Daniel, looking like a man and frightening him with his presence and his words (Daniel 8:15–18). Helping Daniel back to his feet, he prophesied of things to come, including how the Messiah would defeat the Antichrist (Daniel 8:18–27; cf. 8:25).

Second, Gabriel appeared to Daniel again in response to Daniel’s prayer o

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Star with Royal Beauty Bright

Matthew 2:1–2 records the travel of the wise men from the east to Jerusalem, looking for the King of the Jews, “For we saw his star when it rose.” King Herod interrogated them as to “what time the star had appeared” (Matthew 2:7). After leaving Herod, the star apparently reappeared and “went before them until it came to rest over the place where the Child was” (Matthew 2:9). Knowing it would lead them to the King, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with gre

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Thoughts on Contentment in Jesus Christ

Sometimes we look for happiness in people, position, possessions, or our overall prosperity. We might never get these things the way we want them, or we can easily lose them when we have them. Either way, if they become our joy, our joy can be quickly lost. We should find contentment in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Consider Philippians 4:11: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.” What does it mean to be content? An

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A Great King from a Little Town

Matthew 2:6 records the quotation of Micah 5:2 by the chief priests and scribes to inform King Herod that Israel’s Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. If we look at Micah 5:2 and its surrounding verses (Micah 5:1–5), we can see how this passage encouraged Israel then and encourages us today.

Jesus is greater than any earthly king (Micah 5:1–3). We remember that Micah prophesied during the reigns of Jotham (750–735 BC), Ahaz (735–715 BC), and Hezekiah (715–686 BC). (See Mica

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Sacrifices of Thanksgiving to God

God commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We should be “giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20). We should be known as “abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:7; cf. 3:17; 4:2). Likewise, Hebrews 13:15 commands us, “Through [Christ] then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the frui...
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A Prayer to Walk Worthy of Christ: Colossians 1:9–14 (Part 2)

Last week, we saw that we should pray to know the will of the Father for us in Christ and that we should pray for illumination to understand this will. This week, we see that we should also… 

Pray that we would walk according to this knowledge to please the Lord Jesus Christ.

We come to the purpose for Paul’s prayer in Col 1:10, “so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,” which, if we do, we will be “fully pleasing to Him.”

The “Lord” is the Lord Jesus Christ, as indicate

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A Prayer to Walk Worthy of Christ: Colossians 1:9–14 (part 1)

“Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). 

Not only did Jesus teach His disciples how to pray (Luke 11:2–4; cf. Matt 6:9–13), but he also gave an example for us in His “High Priestly Prayer” in John 17. In other Scriptures, His apostles spoke by His authority and the Spirit to leave us example prayers as well. One such prayer is found in Colossians 1:9–14. 

Paul prayed for the Colossians in a way that we as Christians can pray for one another. In what follows below, I’ll attempt

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Ways to Help Your Passage-by-Passage Study of the Bible (Part 3 of 3)

Two books that I recommend for learning how to preach and teach are (1) Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages. Haddon Robbinson. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2001, and (2) Invitation to Biblical Preaching: Proclaiming Truth with Clarity and Relevance. Donald Sunukjian. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2007.

When it comes to understanding the broader themes of Scripture, I highly recommend this set of books, written by one of my professors: A

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Ways to Help Your Passage-by-Passage Study of the Bible (Part 2 of 3)

Fourth, if preparing to preach through the passage, turn your big idea statement into something that people can hear and get the idea of the passage right away. 

Turn your outline is to something easy to hear and follow – use alliteration, key words, etc. Figure out a title for your sermon that memorably captures the big idea in just a phrase. Then make your notes in such a way as to explain the text to someone who has never heard it before. Finally, practice and time yours

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Ways to Help Your Passage-by-Passage Study of the Bible (Part 1 of 3)

What follows below is simple advice for reading your Bible and specifically how to understand a specific passage in depth. This advice is geared towards teachers but hopefully anyone who reads it.

First, understand the passage in its broader context. Gain a preliminary standing of the whole book that you are studying. Read introductory sections in study Bibles or introductions to the OT or NT that summarize and outline the book that you want to study. Know as much as you ca

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Why We Do What We Do When We Meet to Worship

Some churches host elaborate programs to entertain an audience. (Or some churches try this but do it very poorly.) Other churches have a liturgy so formal that only its ministers understand what is going on. Yet other churches may sing hymns, read Scripture, and do biblical things, but only for the sake of connecting with a tradition and not from a love for the gospel. At our church, we seek to obey the Scriptures in simplicity when we meet together, and I hope and pray it...
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Preaching, Providence, and the Work of God

After Israel returned to her land from a seventy-year captivity (Ezra 1–2), the nation began to rebuild the temple. The return was in 538 BC. Rebuilding began in 536 BC, the year that Israel finished the temple’s foundation (Ezra 3). However, foreigners in Israel halted the work (Ezra 4:1–5). Foreigners beyond the borders opposed the work later as well (Ezra 4:6–23). 

When Darius replaced Cyrus, however, the work began again in 520 BC (Ezra 4:24). Haggai and Zechariah proph

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