Posts with the category “church”

IntroductionMoses was the man of God. The chosen deliverer. The prophet who spoke with Yahweh face to face. If ever there were a man whose children should have walked in covenant blessing, surely it w...  Read More

James concludes chapter 1 with one of the most memorable verses in the entire epistle:“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their afflict...  Read More

James has already warned us that hearing without doing is worthless. Now he turns his attention to a specific test of genuine faith: the tongue.“If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle hi...  Read More

James does not waste words. After urging believers to receive the implanted Word with meekness (James 1:21), he immediately warns against self-deception: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers onl...  Read More

One of the most quoted verses in James is, “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22). It’s a rallying cry for obedience, and rightly so. But here’s the danger: if we jump straight to d...  Read More

When James sat down to write his letter, he was addressing a very specific group of people. He writes in James 1:1, “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion.” These were Jewish Christians scattered bec...  Read More

IntroductionThe story of Moses and Zipporah is not often held up as a model of biblical marriage. It’s tucked between the dramatic scenes of Moses’ call at the burning bush and his confrontations with...  Read More

Salvation Begins with God’s WillJames concludes this section on trials and temptations with a profound theological statement:“Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should b...  Read More

Don’t Drift in Your TheologyJames interrupts his flow with an urgent pastoral warning:“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.” (James 1:16)Why? Because in the heat of trials and temptations, we’re p...  Read More

When Trials Turn into TemptationsJames makes a critical distinction in verses 13–15: while God ordains trials to strengthen and sanctify us, He is never the source of temptation to sin.“Let no one say...  Read More

James knows how easily we confuse trials with temptations. The two often come close in our experience, but they are not the same thing. Trials are tests from God to strengthen our faith; temptations a...  Read More

In real estate, the mantra is “location, location, location.” In Bible study, it’s “context, context, context.” Before we even set foot in verse 12, we need to remember where James has been leading us...  Read More

James ends this early section of his letter with a shocking statement: God levels the ground. Not economically, not socially, but spiritually. And He often does it through trials.This is not political...  Read More

There’s nothing more disorienting in a trial than spiritual instability—feeling like your soul is being pulled in two directions. That’s what James is addressing here. Right after telling us to ask G...  Read More

In the midst of life’s most difficult trials, we are commanded to endure. But James knows that perseverance is not automatic. You don’t endure because you want to. You endure because you know how. And...  Read More

Christian maturity doesn’t happen by accident. It is not produced by age, knowledge, or church attendance. It is produced by endurance—the Spirit-empowered perseverance that responds to trials with fa...  Read More

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds.” Let’s just admit it—this is not how most of us naturally think about hardship. James opens his letter to suffering Christians n...  Read More

Introduction: A Shadow of the CrossThe wilderness story in Exodus 17 may seem like just another stop along Israel’s journey—but it is so much more. It is Gospel terrain. It is holy ground.When Moses s...  Read More

Introduction: What Do You Name Your Wilderness?In Scripture, names matter. Names remember. They mark moments, establish meaning, and declare to future generations what happened in a particular place.H...  Read More

Introduction: When You’ve Come to the End of YourselfMoses has reached his breaking point.He’s led faithfully. He’s obeyed. He’s trusted the Lord. But now the people are angry—so angry they’re ready t...  Read More

Now, in verses 2–3, we see what was inside Israel’s heart: unbelief. Their thirst becomes a theological test—and they fail it. Instead of crying out to God, they lash out at Moses. Instead of trusting...  Read More

God is orchestrating every movement of His people. Not just the major milestones, but the small stages. They didn’t move until He said move. And when He said move, they went. There is a kind of beauty...  Read More

The one who comes out of the water is not saying, “I’ve arrived.” He is saying, “God has made me new—and I now walk in that newness.” This is why baptism is not optional. It is obedience. It is your p...  Read More

But let’s be honest. While the old self is positionally dead, practically, we still feel its pull. Paul himself speaks to this tension in Romans 7, describing the ongoing war between the desires of th...  Read More

To be faithful stewards of this ordinance, we must be clear about what baptism is and what it is not. Baptism Is Not Salvific Nowhere in Scripture is baptism presented as a means of regeneration. Jes...  Read More

In Exodus 16, for the first time in Scripture, the Sabbath is introduced not merely as a command, but as a lived reality. Before Sinai, before the Ten Commandments are even given, God weaves a weekly ...  Read More

"And Moses said, ‘This is what the LORD has commanded: Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness…’"Exodus 16:20After ...  Read More

“But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and it bred worms and stank.” Exodus 16:20It’s a sad and strange sight — God graciously provides daily bread from heaven, and ...  Read More

“In the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD.” Exodus 16:7When the Israelites grumbled in the wilderness, God had every right to discipline...  Read More

“Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in m...  Read More

“Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt…” (Exodus 16:3)Exodus 16:1–3The Israelites were only one month removed from crossing the Red Sea on dry ground. One month since the...  Read More

After the drama of deliverance, the bitterness of thirst, and the tension of testing, Exodus 15 ends quietly, with a single verse that might be easy to overlook — but it is packed with meaning and hop...  Read More

The story of Marah is not just about thirst or provision. It’s about testing. After sweetening the bitter waters, God does something unexpected. He speaks — not just to solve the people’s physical nee...  Read More

In Exodus 15, Israel finds themselves in the wilderness only three days after their miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea. The songs of praise have faded, and thirst is setting in. Then they arrive at...  Read More

It’s astonishing how quickly things change.Three days earlier, the people of Israel were singing. Praising. Rejoicing in the triumph of their God over the armies of Pharaoh. The song of Moses rang out...  Read More

In Exodus 15, we find the first recorded song in Scripture—a moment of praise that erupts from the hearts of God’s people after one of the most miraculous acts of deliverance in human history. The Red...  Read More

In a world that often blurs the lines between right and wrong, how can we, as followers of Christ, live lives that are truly set apart? This question lies at the heart of a powerful message found in 1...  Read More

12 Let no one despise you for your youth…Paul is cautioning Timothy to not allow anyone to look down on his youthfulness. Since Paul is no longer going to be there with the people to give Timothy natu...  Read More

In a culture that constantly pushes us to want more, achieve more, and be more, the concept of contentment can seem almost foreign. We're bombarded with messages telling us that our worth is tied to o...  Read More

In a world filled with countless voices claiming to speak truth, how can we discern what is truly of God? This question is as relevant today as it was in the early days of the church, when the Apostle...  Read More