What is hope?  For many, it is a desire for something to happen.  We may hope for things to be better in the future than they are now.  We may hope that a loved one will change his or her ways and give up sinfulness. We may hope to get out of debt.  We may […]

“In God We Trust” is the official moto of the United States of America (USA).  It is also written on the paper money and coins of the USA.  It serves as a reminder that the nation’s political and economic fortunes are tied to its spiritual faith.  As the country moves away from its Christian foundation, […]

In the beginning, Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden.  There they enjoyed every tree that was pleasant to the sight and good for food.  They also enjoyed close fellowship with God.  But Adam and Eve sinned and partook of the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  […]

As described in the Bible, the Jewish sect of the Pharisees was made up of individuals who were very religious and followed the letter of the law as they interpreted it.  Two notable instances relate to the Sabbath and the tithe (giving a tenth).  The Law of Moses gave specific commands relative to these.  The […]

The apostle Paul was in a Roman prison because the Jews were opposed to him preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.  There was an initial trial before Felix, the Roman governor, but he delayed making a decision.  Felix had been born a slave but had been freed by the emperor Claudius and had now become […]

In the church of Rome in the first century, some of the Christians were Jews who had come to believe in Jesus Christ.  To explain to the Jews how they were dead to the law, the Apostle Paul used the example of a woman married to a man. It appears that the first century Christians […]

Luke 6:12-16 “Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, […]

Mark 2:14-17 “As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; […]

All sin has some attraction or people wouldn’t be tempted to sin.  Eve is a great example.  She saw the desirability of eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil after the serpent pointed out the benefits. Genesis 3:4-6 “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For […]

There is a road that we occasionally use where the posted speed limit is very slow.  When the road was first paved, it was level and smooth and we could travel fast.  But then the road settled in multiple places so that we must travel slowly to avoid damaging our car or hurting ourselves.  When […]