The Bible has a lot to say about speech, even speech offered in worship and service to God. In the Sunday sermon, I mentioned a few cross-references to Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 but had to leave out many more. Therefore, I wanted to share with you some of the other references that go really well with what…
As we continue to hear God’s warning against false teachers from 2 Peter, it’s important for us to keep in mind what a false teacher actually is. A false teacher is not merely someone who proclaims something false or in error, for, under such a broad definition, all of us growing Christians would qualify as false…
Christians often differentiate the terms “mercy” and “grace” in the following way: “mercy” is not receiving the bad that we do deserve and “grace” is receiving the good that we we do not deserve. While this distinction is adequate, the biblical Hebrew and Greek terms actually have broader and even overlapping meanings: “mercy” is simply…
Thank you for continuing to think through and pray about these words of exhortation. In part 1, I directed you to beware the demonic, spirit-targeting conspiracy more than any human conspiracy. In part 2, I identified two satanic pitfalls in our day that we must carefully avoid: shallow discernment and prideful isolation. In this third and final part, I want…
In part 1 of my exhortation, I discussed how, in these days, we believers face a demonic conspiracy far greater than any human conspiracy. This bigger conspiracy is not ultimately concerned with destroying our governments or harming our bodies but with leading our spirits into distraction, division, and despair. But we should not be ignorant…
America has been duped by a vast and nefarious conspiracy. This conspiracy has infiltrated our government, our scientific establishment, and even our church. No, I’m not talking about a racism, Covid-19, media, or election conspiracy. The conspiracy I’m talking about is much bigger. In fact, for those with the eyes to see, this malicious conspiracy…
In the Sunday sermon, I mentioned how the typical American apology for wrongdoing falls far short of a true expression of repentance. However, now that we’ve seen again what repentance is from the Bible, we actually have a new model for our apologies. While not every part of the following needs to be said every…
In the Sunday sermon, we heard the Lord teach us from Ecclesiastes about the simple wisdom of companionship. Life can be a painful and frustrating journey, but it is better together. But what about when companions themselves are the source of pain and frustration? What about when someone you love isn’t there for you or…
Merry Christmas! Just two quick thoughts as we look back on Sunday’s sermon and look forward to Christmas Eve (join us tomorrow at 7pm on our livestream!). The first thought is the contrast between Jesus and false teachers. Pastor Babij has shown us from 2 Peter the wicked character of false Christian teachers who so…
If you listened to the Sunday sermon on companionship, you may have noticed that Solomon’s teaching assumes our self-interest. “If you want to be happy and wise, then don’t go through life alone.” But isn’t this a selfish kind of reasoning (cf. Phil 2:3)? Shouldn’t Christians seek companionship in order to give and not receive…