The apostle Peter wrote his second letter to stir up the sincere minds of his readers by way of reminder, that they should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by the apostles – 3:1-2.

We all need to be reminded from time to time.  Even the letters on the Lord’s Table serve as a weekly reminder.  This article contains a short list of things about which we all need reminding.

1.  Always put God first in your daily life and thoughts. Else, He soon will become last. Check the many…

Mentorship: Passing the Faith Forward

When Paul wrote to Titus, he gave a pattern that has kept the Lord’s church
strong for generations: “Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-
controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise
are to teach what is good, and so train the young women.” (Titus 2:2-6)
That short passage is more than good advice; it’s a blueprint for how God
designed His people to grow. The Lord could have chosen any system to preserve
the faith, but He chose mentorship. Older Christians guiding younger ones.
Experienced hands teaching by word,…

Last year, a social media post on the “X” (formerly Twitter) account of Sesame Street’s beloved character Elmo unexpectedly went viral.

The post was simple and innocent: “Elmo is just checking in! How is everybody doing?” But it elicited thousands of depressing responses — what some mental health professionals refer to as a “trauma dump.” A few examples:

“Not feeling too tickled about life right now, Elmo.”

“Elmo, I’m suffering from existential dread over here.”

“Elmo, my man, you been to the grocery…

We’ve felt the awkwardness or even fear of walking into a new place for the first time.  We know the difference between a friendly church and those assemblies where we didn’t feel very welcome.

The importance placed on the visitor is seen in many places we frequent.  They may have a Visitor Center or offer Visitor Parking.  Hospitals have Visiting Hours.  Shouldn’t the visitor be taken care of when they come to the house of the Lord?  

We have a scriptural responsibility that extends beyond the borders of our brethren.  In both passages that list the qualifications of elders, these men…

Like a Fish Out of Water

The phrase “like a fish out of water” needs little explanation if you’ve ever actually
seen a fish out of water. What was a few moments before the definition of grace
and beauty suddenly becomes a wriggling, flopping, creature bent on chaos.
Now imagine seeing a fish swimming along in a clear mountain stream, living his
best fish life. Then someone comes along and snatches him out of the water,
tosses him onto the grass, and declares him, “Free from the bondage of water!!!”
Keep that image in mind for just a few minutes.
We…

In John chapter 3 (part of our Bible reading for this week), some disciples of John the Baptist come to him to report that Jesus is baptizing people — “and all are coming to Him” (verse 26). It was starting to look as though Jesus would make more disciples than John (see John 4:1), and some of John’s followers and friends found it troubling.

But John wasn’t troubled. His mission from God was to prepare the way for the Messiah. “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from…

Is it not a human tendency for man to hope in vain that in time God will forget any sin he has committed for which he has not repented or asked God for forgiveness?

The apostle Peter tells of false prophets who arose in the OT among God’s people who secretly introduced destructive heresies, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.  Many followed their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth would be maligned; and in their greed they would exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

For example, King…

…the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you — not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience — through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:20-21, NASB).

Once when I referred to this passage to show the role of baptism in God’s plan of salvation, a friend of mine objected. He…

“Speak, Lord, Your Servant Hears”

( 1 Sam. 3:9, 10)

The book of First Samuel begins with the story of Samuel’s birth and youth.
Many of us first heard it in our own young years in Bible class. As told to
children, the story focuses on the child Samuel. We learned how Hannah his
mother grieved over being childless, and how she promised God that, if he gave
her a son, she would give the boy back for God’s service. We learned that Samuel
was turned over to Eli the priest and spent his youth “ministering to the LORD (1
Sam. 3:1).”…

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Victimless Sin?

“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled;
but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” – Hebrews 13:4
In recent years our society has taken a very libertine stance toward sexual sins.
“What is the big deal?” we are asked. “When two consenting adults engage in
sexual intercourse no one is harmed. It is a victimless sin.” We are told that what
two people do in private is no one else’s business. They tell us that the traditional
religious requirement that sex be confined to marriage is outdated.
Fornication is not, in fact, a victimless sin. The ills…

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