There is a sense in which everything we do as human beings takes place in the sight of men. But, surprisingly, the simple Greek phrase emprothen tōn anthrōpōn, that is, before men, occurs just six times in the entire New Testament. What is most surprising, however, is that each occurrence comes from Jesus Himself. Let’s […]

Profitable In a famous verse in 2 Timothy, Paul writes that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). Paul says here that all Scripture is useful for us. This would certainly include the OT. In referring to the […]

By Kayla Pesce Hey all. I was reading “The Mailbag” from the first 2016 issue and decided to share some encouraging news with you and maybe a prayer request within that. I heard that you have a new “younger” member of the GES team and might possibly be trying to target a younger generation. Be […]

In his book, Ministers of Mercy: The New Testament Deacon, Alexander Strauch writes, “During the last three decades, a major revival of interest in deacons has taken place. In nearly every denomination and branch of Christianity, efforts are underway to discover God’s design for deacons” (p. 8). However, he suggests that much of that interest […]

By Joe Lambardi Introduction In the United States physical fitness has become, according to the heading of one magazine article, “a national obsession.” That particular piece, which was published in the June 16, 1986 edition of Time was subtitled, “The U.S. Turns On to Exercise.” It began with these words: At the dawning there were […]

Within Free Grace theology, there is a great emphasis on the grace of God. One of the reasons for this is such a theology rightly sees that the eternal salvation of a person rests solely upon that grace. We receive eternal life as a free gift the moment we believe in Jesus Christ for it. […]

By Phil Congdon I once delivered a message entitled “Shepherding the Flock in Trying Times.” I alerted Christians to the religious persecution coming to America, identifying where those attacks are coming from. My goal was to prepare believers for a time when standing for moral truth will be grounds for being ostracized or punished. When […]

By D. L. Starkey I was brought up in the Church of Christ since I was two weeks old. I was a full-time paid preacher there for over twenty years. If you are familiar with the Church of Christ, they can be a very legalistic bunch, and I was no exception. I preached against all […]

By Joe Lambardi I introduced the series by explaining the Bible makes it clear that every believer is a builder. Every Christian is a person in construction as well as under construction. In 2 Peter 1:3-11, Peter explains that by our dependence upon Divine heavenly resources (vv 3-4), and by our diligence in the human […]

By Diane Boring I’ve been a believer for many years, and God has always been faithful to show me that His grace truly is sufficient in times of trial. When I stop and remember how He’s always come through for me in each and every trial, I am in awe of Him. But this last […]