By Bob Wilkin “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” While working on a book on one hundred verses which prove that salvation is by faith alone, apart from works, I came across an interesting explanation of what Paul meant in Rom 3:28 when he

By Shawn Lazar Are you an elder? Do you hope to become one? Are you trying to raise them up in your church? If so, Donald Norbie has some practical advice. In his booklet, Shepherd the Flock, Norbie summarizes the qualifications and functions of the elder. One qualification is being “able to teach” (1 Tim

By Ken Yates We all know the stories about Daniel. He was a faithful servant of the Lord during a trying time in Israel’s history. He had been taken captive when he was a teenager and lived the rest of his life in Babylon. When we get to chap. 5, Daniel is a man in

By Amy Paige If you haven’t found yourself in this uncomfortable spot, you will at some point. I’ve noticed two ways believers deal with confrontation. An immature believer would respond in the flesh. Lashing out in words of anger face-to-face, but most likely by gossiping or posting on Facebook, i.e., hiding behind the keyboard. A

A Concise Commentary From The Grace New Testament Commentary (Revised Edition) By Zane Hodges The Decisive Witness of Scripture against Humanity (3:1-20) 3:1-2. There is much advantage from every point of view (in every way) for Jews. But Paul is not interested in pursuing all the advantages that are alluded to by the words much

By Marcia Hornok A young friend on Facebook explored the question of why millennials are leaving the faith. Perhaps we should ask what makes young adults choose to keep the faith in which they were raised. The question has many answers. Whom You Marry A major one, in my opinion, is their choice of a

By Phil Congdon Spring is the season of resurrection—as the whole world seems to come alive from its winter hibernation and burst forth with new promise. Here in Texas, the profusion of bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush, verbena, and a host of other wildflowers is a vivid reminder—resurrection time is here! For Christians, the word “resurrection” means

By Shawn Lazar I have a devotional by Watchman Nee called The Lord Is My Portion. In the reading for January 22nd, Nee meditates on Matt 14:30 which reads: But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” Nee comments: In

By Summer Stevens I’ve taken several personality inventories lately that have all given me the same general result: I’m a “people-person.” To me, people are fascinating. I count it a privilege to learn someone’s story or be trusted with someone’s heart, and it’s rare I come across a person I don’t find interesting. I’m almost

By Dix Winston A pastor, a college professor, and a boy scout were flying together on a small plane when the pilot had a heart attack and died. Since none of them could fly the plane and it was headed down, they began looking for parachutes. They only found two. This created a moral dilemma:

By Bob Wilkin Over the years I’ve had lots of failures in life. I know we all have. But I’m more acutely aware of my own failures than I am of those of others. Have you ever felt like giving up on your job, your ministry in your church, or on some major responsibility you