Along the banks of the Lycus River in the Roman province of Asia sat the city of Thyatira. It was a city of wealth and extravagance, acting as a commercial hub for a thriving dyeing and textile industry. It was…
Flags represent the spirit and identity of countries and serve as national rallying points both in peace and wartime. In the film The Patriot (2000), Mel Gibson’s character hoists a flag in the thick of battle to inspire his fellow…
The Name In Genesis 17, the covenant community is in crisis. Abram had been called by the Lord out of darkness and into light. He had been given incredible promises, including offspring (Gen. 12:1-3). God had reiterated his promise: “Your…
Imagine a father and son in the car talking about the important matters of life. The radio is on, but it provides only background noise. However, at a pause in the conversation both father and son realize that the radio…
The Beatitudes offer some compelling directives for how our lives ought to be structured as Christians. The name itself simply means “Blessedness,” or even, “Supreme Blessedness,” and from Matthew 5:1-12, Jesus outlines several ways that His people can experience the…
A life of true happiness is that rare gem which every human heart seeks. An entire industry – marketing – exists with the intent to make you, a needy human heart, feel a lack of happiness and to assure you…
Mary, did you know That your baby boy will one day walk on water? Mary, did you know That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters? Did you know That your baby boy has come to make you…
After the preacher has wrestled well with all the interpretive difficulties that come with reading and understanding the parables of Jesus, the task now lies before him to communicate and preach the parable faithfully, clearly, and persuasively. This jump from…
Since 1854, the Roman Catholic Church has adopted the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, the idea that Mary was sinless from her conception to her death. It reads, “The doctrine which holds that the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the…
The Parables of Jesus are some of the most delightful passages to read in Scripture. Within them, Jesus, the God-man, weaves together powerful stories filled with symbols, metaphors, and illustrations that only the greatest Story-Teller would be able to tell.…
