From Prison to a Palace

You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God. (Ex. 20:7, NIV) No name has ever been misused more than the name of God, and the result is that millions of people struggle over the very mention of his name. One way the name of God is misused is in distorted claims. The...Read…

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator. (Romans 1:25, NIV) Idolatry takes a thing that is to be used and puts it in the place of the One who is to be worshipped. It could be a car, a house, or a career,...Read…

“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3 NIV) The first commandment calls you to a life-long response of gratitude and loving loyalty to the God who loved you and gave himself for you. Positively, this means cultivating affection for him: Remembering him, appreciating him, honoring him, choosing him, loving him, desiring him,...Read…

All these I have kept. (Matt. 19:20, NIV) Take a moment to consider where you stand in relation to the Ten Commandments. Here are three possibilities: 1. Some of us think we’ve climbed the wall. A man was talking with Jesus about the Ten Commandments and he said, “I’ve kept them all!” He hadn’t murdered...Read…

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:10, NIV) There are two kinds of sorrow: Worldly sorrow brings death. You can be full of regret and never change; you can be sorry without repenting. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and...Read…

My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:5-6, NIV) Job got what he asked for, an encounter in which God speaks to him clearly, directly, audibly. But afterwards Job says: “I repent.” What did Job repent of? God...Read…

“The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15, NIV) Some Christians hear the word repentance and immediately think: Been there, done that! It’s easy to see why. Let’s say you were brought up under teaching that emphasized repentance at the beginning of the Christian life. Sermons ended by calling...Read…

The law is holy…righteous and good. (Romans 7:12, NIV) Some folks have the idea that the law is bad and the gospel is good. But this is not the teaching of the Bible.  The law came from the hand of God who never changes.  How could it possibly be bad? If your son or daughter...Read…

You know all about…my purpose, faith, patience. (2 Timothy 3:10, NIV) Your purpose Does your son know what’s important to you?  Does your daughter know what you’re trying to accomplish?  What would your child say matters to you more than anything else?  This is a great question to talk about with your kids.  Ask them! ...Read…

Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality. (Ephesians 5:3, NIV) Notice what the apostle Paul says next, “…or of greed.”  There is something here that needs to be said in our culture today. Greed is another kind of lust.  Greed is an “I want” that is never satisfied: “I want...Read…