Paul’s letter to the Philippians is filled expressions of praise, joy and confidence, despite the fact that Paul wrote the letter while he was in prison. The Philippian church, unlike many other churches Paul wrote to, was not facing any particular problem or controversy. Instead their challenges were the kind that plague many churches today. We can learn from Paul how to rejoice and persevere in the mundane, ordinary difficulties of life.
Series
Nehemiah: Restoration & Redemption
The message of Nehemiah is restoration. The book records how God moved Nehemiah to lead the people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in approximately 446 BC. As the story unfolds, we see God restore godly leadership to Israel, restore the walls of Jerusalem, restore the broken faith of the people, restore a sense of community and heritage as God’s people, and restore the people’s knowledge of the God’s word and their desire to love and obey Him.
Bible Study 101: Learn to Study the Bible
Now is a great time to improve your Bible study skills. Follow this series to learn how to study the Bible, where to find the tools you need to study and how to use them.
Jeremiah: Questions Jeremiah Answered
The book of Jeremiah is about both political and personal crisis. Part of the message which the Lord told Jeremiah to deliver to the nation of Judah was that they were headed for the kind of disaster that no Israelite would ever believe God could allow to happen to His chosen people. And yet another part of the message God gave Jeremiah was that God was working in the midst of this unthinkable disaster to accomplish something wonderful.
Rebellion of Absalom: 2Samuel 13-19
The tragic story of Absalom’s rebellion to his father King David brings about the fulfillment of God’s judgment that “the sword will never leave his house (2 Samuel 12:10-12) .” The sins of David’s sons repeat and magnify David’s sin. David’s crime was against the wife of a friend. Amnon sins against a sister. The consequences of the first were death of a husband and baby. The consequences of the second was civil war.
Ken Elzinga Collection
The talks in this collection were given by one of my role models Ken Elzinga to various audiences over several years. Professor Elzinga is a famous economist and the Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia. He is also a very wise man.
Psalms
How to study and understand the psalms plus examples of specific psalms.
Colossians: Getting the Gospel Right
If pressed could you discern the actual gospel of Jesus Christ from a counterfeit? Especially if the skewed message came from within mainstream evangelicalism?
Peter 1: Living as aliens and strangers
Peter wrote his first letter give his readers perspective on the big picture. The gospel (the big picture) has implications for each of those relationships and that is what this letter is about: how we respond to God and view ourselves in this world; how we respond to other believers who are walking this journey with us and how we respond to those who persecute and hate us.
James: The Gospel in Shoe Leather
If I could sum up James, in one verse, it would be Luke 6:46: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” The central question of the book of James is: Are you living what you claim to believe?