Have you ever wondered why, given God’s great love for us, He doesn’t immediately give us every single thing we ask for? Or perhaps you are at the opposite end of the spectrum, wondering if we matter at all to Him.

When we think about God’s view of us, some of...

The wondrous works of God are all around us. From the beauty of a sunrise to the starry splendor of the night sky, and from the miracle of new life to the solemnity of death, we see and feel the awesomeness of God’s work everywhere. Yet, many people live in...

The Bible is one unit, and every word is inspired by God. In it are sixty-six books—thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament—1,189 chapters and 31,173 verses. The Bible was written over approximately fifteen hundred years by forty different authors living on three different continents. Some...

1 Corinthians 13

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that...

Adapted from the Daybreak and Discovery curriculum series.

Background: The Book of Ruth provides a historical picture of the plan of redemption. The events in the book transpired between 1375 and 1050 B.C., and the placement of the book in the Bible causes it to bridge the time between the period...

Forgiveness is a topic that is probably thought about and discussed much more often than it is applied. This is because forgiving others can be a challenge. Like dieting and exercising, people know the benefits of forgiving, so they talk about it, but when there comes an opportunity to put...

The word heritage refers to something that comes or belongs to an individual by reason of birth or that is received as an inheritance. In some cases, a grandparent may give away a treasured possession, saying, “I want you to have this before I’m gone.” At other times, the donor...

In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, the opening verses are a beautiful depiction of Jesus and how His life is the Light of men. In John 1:5 we read about Jesus as the Light: “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” This statement is...

The word sin is a religious term that indicates both willful, defiant acts that transgress divine law, and the underlying condition of opposition to divine law from which those sinful acts originate. Sin separates man from God, and is the root of all resistance to and conflict with Him.

Sin is...

In Matthew 4:19, we read Jesus’ words to fishermen by the Sea of Galilee, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” That invitation extends to us as well, because in the Great Commission, Christ charged His followers to go into all the world and “preach the gospel...

On February 12, 2017, thousands of people forsook their homes and belongings, and fled for higher ground when an emergency evacuation was ordered for people living near America’s highest dam, located in Oroville, California. An article published a few days later in the Sacramento Bee related, “North Sacramento Valley residents...

The term “open letter” is used to describe a message that is addressed to a certain individual or group, but is intended to be read by a larger audience. Someone might write an open letter to a politician or celebrity and, rather than delivering the message directly to the recipient,...

As a physician and orthopedic surgeon who specialized in the treatment of people with leprosy (Hansen’s disease), Dr. Paul Brand became convinced of the value of pain through a frightening personal experience.

While suffering is something we would prefer to avoid in the natural, we need to understand that pain...

The Lord has given each of us a measure of faith. Sometimes we feel like we need more faith, but maybe we could use what we have better. When we see athletes performing at their peak in a professional game or the Olympics, we are inspired. Isn’t that how we...

During a recent three-week trip to Nigeria, I found myself in the state of flying, in the state of riding in a car, and in the state of sitting in church. I experienced a variety of states with regard to sleeping conditions: I slept while traveling in a car, when...

(Click here to read Part 2 of this study.)

Overview Purpose: Paul’s intent in writing to the Corinthian church was to expose evil that persistently threatened to destroy true Christianity.

Author: Paul the Apostle

Date Written: About A.D. 55

Setting: Corinth was a large seaport city in southern Greece, and a major trade center. Its...

Manual typewriters are archaic in today’s world, but we had one in our house when I was growing up. It was a keyboard machine operated entirely by hand, used for producing characters resembling print. When a key was pressed, a little arm with a raised letter on the end flew...

(Click here to read Part 1 of this study.)

Overview Purpose: Paul’s intent in writing to the Corinthian church was to expose evil that persistently threatened to destroy true Christianity.

Author: Paul the Apostle

Date Written: About A.D. 55

Setting: Corinth was a large seaport city in southern Greece, and a major trade center....

Marriage is a sacred institution originated by God. According to Scripture, it is a covenant relationship which establishes a bond between a man and a woman that is dissolved only when death causes the inevitable separation.1

God’s design for marriage goes back...

The Word of God is instructive, encouraging, and full of promises. Some of the most beautiful and powerful of those promises are the words of Jesus himself. Over thirty times in the New Testament, the Lord stated “I will” do this or that. That number does not include instances when...

The Book of Job examines the problem of human suffering. It is the account of a man of integrity, Job, who was the instrument in this divine object lesson. In Job 1:1 we read a description of Job: “There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was...

The New Testament church at Thessalonica was established during difficult times. When Paul and Silas first went to that city with the Gospel, there was no greeting committee that we know of except those who opposed the men of God. However, there were some who wanted a way out of...

Overview Purpose: Paul’s intent in writing to the Corinthian church was to expose evil that persistently threatened to destroy true Christianity. The Gospel was applied to a host of issues, including immorality, marriage and adultery, intellectualism, public worship, and spiritual gifts.

Author: Paul the Apostle

Date Written: About A.D. 55

Setting: Corinth was a...

The Book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John while he was in exile on the island of Patmos around A.D. 95. Throughout the Book, it is apparent that the Lord looks at the Church and wants His people to have victory. He wants us to be overcomers.

John was...

The Sermon on the Mount begins with what is known as the Beatitudes. These are a list of blessings that result from having proper attitudes of the heart. We might think of them as the “be attitudes”; attitudes that we should have as believers. They were pronounced for the children...

Reach Out  The Bell System telephone company (later to become AT&T) came out in 1979 with the advertising slogan, “Reach out and touch someone.” That slogan resonated with people’s emotions and was effective.

The Bible tells of a woman who reached out and touched Jesus. She had been sick for twelve years,...

Recently a lady who was filling out a form for me asked what ethnicity I identified with. Her question reminded me of our culture’s confusion over gender identity. That confusion did not exist when I was born. In fact, the first words spoken in the delivery room upon my arrival...

In today’s world, spiritual mind invasion is prevalent in all age groups around the globe. It even impacts the church as the enemy of our souls seeks to overcome those who serve God. As Christians, we must guard our minds. We are instructed, “Let this mind be in you, which...

Who? What? When? Where? Why? And how? These are six questions considered foundational to good journalism. Let’s consider how these “Five Ws and One H” relate to Galatians 5:1, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of...

Most of us probably do not look in the mirror in the morning and say, “Lord, You did an amazing job here.” However, He did do an amazing job. He made you! God’s involvement with you did not begin at your birth, but at the moment when you were conceived....