Category Archives: Uncategorized

One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is distributing spiritual gifts to Christians. These gifts are given according to His will and are given for the purpose of building the church. Here in 1 Corinthians 12 we have one list of gifts, and there are others in the New Testament. These gifts range fromContinue reading “Day 288: 1 Corinthians 12-14”

Rituals are a meaningful part of human experience. When we engage in activities on a regular basis, we feel a tie to the history of our family, our country, our culture, or our religious tradition. Whether it is a daily routine, a weekly observance, or a yearly celebration, repeated practices provide a level of comfortContinue reading “Day 287: 1 Corinthians 9-11”

Several times in the past few years Christians have faced issues that threatened to divide the church. Whether they were theological questions, political disputes, or questions of church and state relations, committed Christians found themselves on opposite sides of a question and struggled to deal with what that meant for the body of Christ. Sadly,Continue reading “Day 286: 1 Corinthians 5-8”

There are few things that will destroy the testimony of a church faster than ongoing dissension among its members. As the pastor preaches the love of Jesus and the forgiveness of sins, members of the church are living out the opposite values. A lack of love can be evident to people who visit the church,Continue reading “Day 285: 1 Corinthians 1-4”

I think it is safe to say that the majority of those who have faith in Jesus Christ are looking forward to His return. We see so much evil in the world, along with natural disasters that are the result of living in a fallen world, and we want to see all that come toContinue reading “Day 284: 1 Thessalonians 1-5”

When the world looks like its falling apart, people start to look for a way out of the expected disaster. As I write this, there are major battles going on in Israel and the Ukraine, threats from other nations against their neighbors, and civil outbreaks that could become wars scattered around the world. The unrestContinue reading “Day 283: 2 Thessalonians 1-3”

Freedom is a cry that comes from many places in our world. People want to be free, to escape what binds them to people, places, and things that keep them from fulfilling their deepest desires. Wherever restrictions arise, there will be those who seek to be free from them. Yet not everything that places boundariesContinue reading “Day 282: Galatians 4-6”

Legalism can be found in many churches, and is practiced by many Christians. The prevalence of legalistic religion in the church confounds many observers, who wonder not only where it comes from but why people are so attracted to it. Following long, strict lists of rules isn’t something most would claim to want to doContinue reading “Day 281: Galatians 1-3”

The epistle of James was one of the first books of the New Testament written, if not the first. The author of this epistle was James, the younger brother of Jesus, who became the leader of the church in Jerusalem. James was respected even by many outside the church, respected for his holy living andContinue reading “Day 280: James 1-5”

The Babylonian conquest of Judah was a major turning point not only in the history of Israel but in the history of the world. The end of the nation of Judah, following the end of Israel by just over a century, seemed like the end of the nation devoted to the Lord. Babylon appeared toContinue reading “Day 279: 2 Chronicles 35-36”