Category: Faith

Why Faith Without Works is Dead

3/11/2019

Are we justified by faith alone? According to the Apostle James, we are not. But according to the Apostle Paul, we are. Who is right? What did Jesus teach? Many Christians believe that they have to work their way to heaven. In other words, the better they do, the higher their chances are of getting through the “Pearly Gates.” Others believe faith is enough and as long as they believe in Jesus as their Saviour that is all that matters. It would seem those in the early church had the same impressions. But as we have seen from the beginning of this study, our actions say a lot about our faith in Christ. James sets the record straight on the importance of our actions as believers in Jesus. Works and faith go hand in hand.

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What Happens When we Sin?

2/18/2019

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Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved,
he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
- James 1:12, NKJV

In our last lesson, we learned that we are to “count it all joy” when we fall into temptation because temptation produces patience, endurance or perseverance in us. And in the next few verses, the actual word “temptation” is used openly, rather than the word previously used, which was “trials.” Now, the full context of this chapter comes into view. There is no doubt, James is talking about the temptation to sin.

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Why We Don't Have to Rejoice in Trials

2/11/2019

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But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed.
James 1:6-8, KJV

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What is the Gift of Faith?

4/24/2017

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What is the Gift of Faith? Doesn’t every Christian have this gift? Isn’t it a kind of pre-requisite for belief in God? And how do you explain faith to someone who doesn’t believe? What does God say? He says that we wouldn’t even have faith in Him at all, if it wasn’t for His gift of grace to us in the first place!

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8).

How astounding! I can’t even wrap my head around that one. It was God’s grace that saved me through “faith”, yet it would seem from the verse above that even my faith was a gift from God. I don’t know about you, but that kind of blows my mind.

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Five Ways God Calls Us to Unity

12/19/2016

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Read Ephesians 4:1-6

If you have been following along in my look at Ephesians you will by now have noticed a theme. Paul was trying to instill in the Gentile converts at Ephesus who they now were in Christ. He was also trying (in a not so subtle way) to remind the Jewish converts that because of Christ, the promises given to the Jews also now belonged to the Gentiles. This, of course, could lead to friction and so since Ephesians chapter one, he has expounded on not only who they are in Christ, but the importance of unity within the body of Christ (aka - the church).

In today's verses Paul is urging the Ephesians to walk in a worthy manner befitting their calling (their vocation) to salvation. This is something I think the church as a whole needs to take to heart. So how do we "walk in unity" with our fellow believers, when so many of us have differing opinions on Scripture and what it says? In today's verses Paul explains how.

Five Ways God Shows Us to Walk
In Unity With Each Other

Walk in Humility - The KJV uses the word "lowliness". In other words we are to have a humble opinion of ourselves. The Greek word used is tapeinophrosynē and means "a deep sense of one's moral littleness."

Walk in Gentleness - The Greek word used is praotēs and means "meekness". In today's culture, meekness is not considered a virture, but in the ancient world those who were meek were considered very virtuous. For example, a meek person is one who is guided by God's Spirit and able to accept God's ability to direct events in their lives. Meekness is not a resignation to fate, or a passive submission to life events (there is no virtue in that), but it is more of an ability to see the "larger picture" and is therefore an active and deliberate choice to accept God's sovereignty over all aspects of an individual's life.

Walk in Longsuffering - Longsuffering is an excellent word choice in the KJV because it means patience. This isn't just in reference to someone's personality traits that rub us the wrong way. To practice patience also means that we need to recognize that every individual's spiritual journey is different. Everyone has at some point met that person who insists you are wrong about your beliefs. They question why you go to a certain church and they have "dug in their heels" about what they believe (even if it is contrary to Scripture) to the point where they are more annoying than a mosquito. But what we need to realize and remember when dealing with difficult people, is that God deals with each of us in different ways. What you learned twenty years ago in your walk with God, may take someone else a longer time to learn and accept. But we all get there eventually. We just have to trust the Holy Spirit, who resides in everyone who has accepted Jesus as Saviour, to lead us into all truth, which Scripture has promised He will do (John 16:13). But, that leads us to the next point on keeping unity.

Bearing With One Another in Love - No, this does not mean "putting up with each other". The original Greek uses the word anechō and is translated as "forebear" which means, "to hold up, to sustain, to bear, to endure." In other words, we need to help each other stand firm in our faith in Jesus Christ. So if you see your brother or sister in Christ falling away, or perhaps they have been deceived and are listening to false doctrines like the prosperity gospel for example, don't stand idly by and watch them falter or be deceived, rush in, help them to continue to stand firm on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Help them grow in their faith.

Endeavour to keep unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace - I love the word used for "bond" in Greek. It is syndesmos and it means "that which binds together, a band, a bond." It is the Holy Spirit that unites us. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us peace and because we all share in the same Holy Spirit, we are "banded" together as one. Think about that for a minute! There is no other unity like this on earth in which people are capable of sharing equally. We have different talents, we come in different colours, shapes and sizes, we are some poor and some rich, but it is the Holy Spirit alone that unites us as brother and sister in Christ when we accept Jesus as our Saviour. This peace should be something we all cherish and go out of our way to keep unified.

And so Paul reminds the Ephesians once again (and us) how truly united we are in Christ, with the following words:

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all (Ephesians 4:4-6, NKJV).

As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas season, let us rejoice together that we are united as one because of Him.

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Why Your Good Works Won't Save You

11/28/2016

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Read Ephesians 2:1-10

As we continue with our study of Ephesians we come across a passage most Christians know by heart. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). But first, a little background on the Ephesians, and why Paul was spending so much time instilling in them the knowledge that they are loved by God and saved.

Ephesus was the centre of idol worship and the occult in the ancient world. Much of its commerce stemmed from the worship of Artemis, also known as Diana. Yet Artemis was not the only idol worshipped in Ephesus. There were over fifty other idols as well. This was why Ephesus was so wealthy. It was the centre of travel and commerce in the Roman world. In fact, at one point, those merchants who profited off the sale of idols were enraged at Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s travelling companions from Macedonia. A mob formed and dragged them into the theatre to exact vengeance because too many people were believing in Jesus and their businesses were suffering because of it (Acts 19:23-41).

There were two kinds of people residing in Ephesus, pagans and Christians. There were Jews living there too, but they were almost completely Hellenized, embracing the gods of the city. So those who became Christians came out of this pagan lifestyle. They had worshipped idols and they would have dabbled in the occult. They would have been sexually immoral and drunkards. Yet these men and women repented of their sins and served the Lord with a holy zeal. However, they based a lot of their beliefs on good works, believing that they had to make amends or try to "work" their way into heaven to make up for their former decadent lifestyles. They struggled to grasp the idea that they were saved because of their faith in Christ alone. This is why Paul spends so much time reminding them of who they now are in Christ.

Sometimes, new believers also need reminders of who they are in Christ and how much God loves them. So today, I want to show you through Paul's letter, what has happened to you now that you are saved.

What You Were Before Jesus

You were dead in trespasses and sins - In other words you were without life, unaware that your sins separated you forever from fellowship with God.
You walked according to the course of this world - You followed the crowd, the ways of this world. In today's age you would be considered as one who is politically correct. Approving what is sinful in the eyes of God in order to make those around you think better of you.
You walked according to the prince of the power of the air - who is this "prince" Paul speaks of? In Hebrew, the word for "prince" is sar and it has many meanings, “prince, ruler, chief, captain, leader,” and quite a few other forms of leadership. It can be in reference to an earthly leader or an unearthly one, as we see in Daniel 10:13, where the archangel Michael is referred to as the “chief of princes.” But the word sar is also used in reference to the prince of darkness, or Satan. By referring to the "prince of the power of the air" Paul was using the Ephesians knowledge of the occult to drive home a point about who they were really listening to, because the term "air" was used in the ancient world to refer to spiritual realms where demons operated in the lives of people who refused God’s authority. Of course, Jesus disarmed Satan and his demonic army, stripping them of their power, when he rose from the dead. But Satan still has limited power, over "the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2), also known as fallen angels or demons, whom he uses to spread his lies. He also has limited power in the unseen world, over unbelievers and over the world system in general. As evidenced in Job 1:6-12, when Satan comes before the Lord to give an account of what he has been doing. In Job we learn he has to seek God's permission first, before he can do anything at all. But, we must never forget that he is a fallen angel, someone whom God has allowed a limited amount of freedom on earth and so we see evidence of Satan’s influence all around us: hate, war, murder, injustice, exploitation, abuse of power, racism and moral disintegration.
You once conducted yourself according to the lusts of your flesh - Before Christ we all acted upon our lusts, fulfilling as Paul states, "the desires of the flesh and mind."
You were a child of wrath - In other words you were not living for God and in danger of receiving eternal punishment (separation) from Him.

Who You Are Now in Jesus

You are alive in Christ - You are no longer dead, because God loved you so much that He extended His rich mercy towards you WHILE you were still living in sin (dead in your trespasses).
You have been saved by grace - Don't you see? You did absolutely nothing to merit your salvation! God DID IT ALL before you even acknowledged Him. Before you repented of your sins, He extended mercy and grace to you and saved you from the darkness of eternal separation (or death) from Him.
He raised you up - The Lord reached down to you, saw your sin, extended His hand and lovingly said, "Come to Me!" And once you reached out and grasped His hand and said, "Here I am!" He brought you up to sit with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. In other words, for now, God sees you as spiritually exalted with Jesus Christ. But one day, that position will become a physical reality as well. Why? So "that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7).
You have been saved through faith - and even that was a gift from God! "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9).
You are God's workmanship - One of the most precious parts of Ephesians 2:10 is not found in the NIV. This is how the NIV reads, "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." This is how it reads in the NKJV, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." In other words, now that we are in Christ we should make the most of our opportunities to do good to others in His name. We are not saved by our good works, we do good works because we are saved.

So this is why we have no reason to boast about good works. Clearly, we have done nothing to merit our salvation and any good works we do, come about because we love the Lord. And one of the best "works" each Christian has had prepared beforehand by God to do, is to tell others about Him. So you can see that trying to "work" your way into heaven is pointless. You can do absolutely nothing by yourself that would make you redeemable in God's eyes. Only Jesus' sacrifice for you can do that. And that was a gift of grace.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Four Spiritual Blessings God Gives Us

11/7/2016

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy
and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us
to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to
the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His
grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:3-6, NKJV

Have you ever noticed how much about us is packed into the opening verses of Ephesians? Just look at what we are and have in Christ:

We have been blessed with every spiritual blessing.
We were chosen before the foundation of the world.
We were adopted by Jesus as sons (and daughters).
We are accepted because Jesus made us beloved.

Can you even begin to fathom such a great love or such great mercy? We don’t deserve it but it is offered to all freely. So let’s break these verses down. Paul exalts in praising God at the beginning of Ephesians because God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. First, how are we “in” Christ Jesus? When we accept Christ’s atoning sacrifice for us, we are blessed to receive His precious Holy Spirit who lives within us. 1 John 4:13 says, “By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” How do we abide in Him? We abide in God by reading His Word and applying it to our lives. How do we know this is how we abide in Him? Because Jesus is the Word (John 1:1-14)!

How are we blessed in heavenly places? What does that mean? We know that our citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20) and also our hope (Colossians 1:5) and inheritance (1 Peter 1:4). We are to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20, 21) and our affections (Colossians 3:1, 2) are to be “in heaven.” So what does this mean for us on a practical level? If our citizenship is in heaven, and our hope and inheritance are there as well, we could say that the Christian’s spiritual blessings are retained for us in heaven (reserved there since the foundation of the world) and they are progressively dispersed to us in the form of spiritual gifts in accord with our need and Christian growth as we abide in Christ. Those blessings are waiting in heaven for everyone, on hold until we make that decision to follow Jesus and when we do, live our lives by abiding in Him. Everyone has these blessings waiting to be bestowed on them.

What does it mean to be "chosen" before the foundation of the world? Many have mistakenly believed that God chose certain people before the world began to be saved. Signifying that they were indeed "chosen". Unfortunately, this belief contradicts John 3:16 which says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Jesus didn't die for a select few. He died for the whole world. Which means He was thinking about everyone, everywhere, before the foundation of the world, to be united with Him and saved. Why? So that we would be holy and without blame before Him. Jesus paved the way for everyone to be saved. We were all "predestined" to receive His grace. But there would be one stumbling block - you simply had to repent of your sins and believe in Him (John 3:18; Luke 5:31-32).

What happens when we repent and believe? We are adopted by Jesus as His sons and daughters and we are accepted into His presence and loved. Why? Because of the good pleasure of His will and for the praise of the glory of His grace. So, in simple terms, we receive all these wonderful blessings because it makes God happy. Imagine that! And all you have do to is repent of your sins and believe.

An InLinkz Link-up

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The Two Best Ways To Keep From Worrying

10/10/2016

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No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24, NKJV).

Matthew six is all about getting to the heart of our “heart condition.” Jesus called the Pharisees (religious teachers) hypocrites; by pointing out all they did in order to gain God’s favour. They made a point of letting others know when they were doing something charitable (Matthew 6:1-4). They prayed loudly so that everyone would know they were pious and devout (Matthew 6:5-7). They let everyone know when they were fasting (Matthew 6:16-18) by dressing in mourning garb and making their appearance look bad. Jesus called out their self-righteousness by saying they did none of this for God but to gain respect and admiration from their fellow man. He finishes up this part of his sermon by reminding the people not to store up for themselves treasures on earth (which was what the Pharisees/hypocrites were doing). But Jesus says we are to store up for ourselves treasures in heaven. Why? Because “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon is an Aramaic word meaning “riches” or what you value. Jesus saw right to the heart of the Pharisees and what they valued more than a relationship with God, was how people perceived them. Their “treasure” was admiration and praise from others. Their worries and concerns were never about what they would eat or drink or wear, it was all about their reputation.

Some people today are like that. But others genuinely worry where their next meal will come from and how they will provide for their families. For believers who struggle with a lack of money, their faith is tested every day. But, here is the key to that testing – you can set your heart on the treasures this world has to offer, or you can place your life in the hands of the Saviour and trust Him to provide for your needs. By trusting in God, you are storing up “treasures in heaven”. Now that may seem like a pat answer coming from someone who has no idea what it's like to struggle to put food on the table. But you would be wrong. When My husband and I decided to start a family we made a conscious decision that I would stay home with the children, like our mothers did with us. So we have lived on one salary for 32 years. And we had many times when we were down to our last breadcrumb and our last dollar, but God always came through for us and our children never went hungry. So yes, it is all about trusting God to provide and when you activate that trust you can effectively stop worrying.

There are two things Jesus admonishes us to do that will keep us from worrying:

Seek the Kingdom of God
Seek His righteousness

Jesus once compared the kingdom of God to a mustard seed (Mark 4:30-32). Mustard seeds are incredibly small, but they grow into huge trees. Jesus was saying to the listeners of His day that His kingdom had seemingly unimpressive beginnings, but it would one day be so great and powerful, the whole world would recognize it.

Each one of us is a mustard seed. Each step of faith we take by trusting in the Lord, helps us grow a little bit more. As we share His love with others, His kingdom enlarges and grows. When we “seek the kingdom of God” we are actively leading others towards faith in Christ – making that kingdom (like the mustard seed) grow.

When we put off worry and place our faith in God, that tiny little mustard seed of faith grows within us and becomes God’s righteousness. We become more Christ-like in our thinking and behaviour. And when that happens, we learn how to take our worries and concerns to the Creator and leave them there.

Jesus finished off Matthew six with these wise words. I highly recommend you memorize them:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:33-34, NKJV).

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How to be Salt & Light in a Dark World

7/11/2016

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“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor,
how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket,
but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:13-16, NKJV

When Jesus began his famous sermon on the mount, who was he talking to? The Bible says that this sermon was spoken to his followers - in other words - his disciples (Matthew 5:1). These words were geared specifically for those who had given up everything to follow him and they still apply to his followers today.

Jesus calls all his followers to be salt and light to the world. So what does this mean for us today? During Jesus' time most of the salt used in Israel came from the Dead Sea, so it was full of impurities and would lose some of its flavour. But salt had many uses other than flavouring. It acted as a preservative, melted ice and was used to heal wounds. So it is a very good description of how the relationship of a believer in Christ should be toward the world.

By using salt as an example, Jesus was telling us that while we, like salt, are full of impurities (sin) we also bring a message that makes life better. However, we are in danger of losing our flavour, the longer we align ourselves with the world's values and beliefs. As disciples of Christ we all have the same mission - to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15). Unfortunately, as the world has progressed and degenerated into apostasy and sexual immorality, some believers have "lost their saltiness", by embracing the world's values and beliefs and forgetting the most important message we have been commissioned to share - that Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again, in order that all those in the world who accepted Him, would not perish (be eternally separated from God), but would receive everlasting life. This should be our main focus and message in this world. If we stop sharing this message we lose our flavour and will be "good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men."

We are also called to be a light to the world. We are not to hide that light (our belief that Jesus is Lord and Saviour), but to share it with EVERYONE. This can be a scary thing in an age where Christians are no longer tolerated. But guess what? Christians have not been tolerated since the church began! They have been persecuted since the beginning and will continue to be persecuted until Jesus comes again.

This love and concern that drives the Christian message has been strong since the church began. It is why Antipas, whom Jesus speaks of in Revelation 2:13, was slowly roasted to death inside the statue of a bronze bull, the symbol and companion of Zeus. This happened in Pergamum, which according to Jesus, "was the city where Satan lived." Antipas went to be a light in the darkness and was killed for it. It is why the Apostle John was boiled in oil, survived and was exiled to the island of Patmos. It is why the Apostle Peter was crucified upside down on a cross. This message of salvation in Jesus Christ has driven every Christian since the church began. It is why we risk death - so that no one should perish and be eternally separated from God.

The irony of course is that this message of light, love and life we are preaching, is not a message this world wants to hear. Instead, we are called intolerant bigots. Why? Because we are called to be salt (which can sting) and light (which exposes the darkness) in a world that is without morals, filled with darkness and given over to their sin nature. So how do we share the message of Jesus and be salt and light in a world that is intolerant to our message?

We feed the homeless, care for the poor, visit the sick in hospital, or do something in our communities that would bring joy to others and show the love of Christ. So that when someone asks you why you do these things you will be able to say without fear, I do it because of Jesus. That is being a light, and it is in accordance with what Jesus commanded us, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Today is Monday Meditations – Please link your faith-based posts below.
Let's encourage one another. Don't forget to visit those who post.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Are You on the Right Path?

6/12/2016

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“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Matthew 7:13-14, NKJV

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Matthew 7:15-20, NKJV

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’"
Matthew 7:21-23, NKJV

Many people today say they "know God" but the verses above imply God will say He never knew them. This is rather a scary verse for a new Christian. For any Christian, really, who might be struggling with their faith. So over my next three posts, I'd like to look at them in context.

These verses were part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 7 also includes the verses on judging others, asking, seeking and knocking, and the wise man who built his house upon the rock. They all tie in very nicely with the ones above, for the entire chapter is about how we should live our lives before others (not judging them), how to approach God with our concerns (ask, seek and knock), how we should walk with God, who we should not listen to, and how to build our faith on a firm foundation. But we are going to concentrate on the verses above. We will start with the narrow gate.

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Digging Deeper

Why Faith Without Works is Dead

What Happens When we Sin?

Why We Don't Have to Rejoice in Trials

What is the Gift of Faith?

Five Ways God Calls Us to Unity

Read Ephesians 4:1-6

Five Ways God Shows Us to Walk
In Unity With Each Other

Why Your Good Works Won't Save You

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

What You Were Before Jesus

Who You Are Now in Jesus

Four Spiritual Blessings God Gives Us

The Two Best Ways To Keep From Worrying

How to be Salt & Light in a Dark World

Are You on the Right Path?

Archives

Categories

Digging Deeper

Read Ephesians 4:1-6

Five Ways God Shows Us to Walk In Unity With Each Other ​

Read Ephesians 2:1-10

What You Were Before Jesus ​

Who You Are Now in Jesus ​

Archives

Categories

Five Ways God Shows Us to Walk
In Unity With Each Other

What You Were Before Jesus

Who You Are Now in Jesus