“Auld Lang Syne” is a Scottish tune by Robert Burns. The title literally means “times long past.” It is a song about reflection on the past – moving on but not forgetting. It is traditionally sung at New Year’s in our culture. Others sing the song at commencements and funerals. It recalls “the best of Continue reading

In the church, we sometimes shy away from certain expressions and phrases due to abuses of these terms in the denominational world. One such idea we may avoid is that of accepting Christ as our personal savior. However, when it comes to our relationship with Jesus, it should be personal, and, if we don’t know Continue reading

This is the third lesson looking at Paul’s writing and the role of the cross in those works. Remember, as a Pharisee, Paul’s entire spiritual life once centered on rejecting and refuting the cross. This all changed when Christ appeared to him. In these lessons, we have looked at the problem of sin and its Continue reading

Sometimes we question our purpose in life. Why are we here? What is our mission? Why do we do what we do? In Luke 19:9-10, Jesus says His mission was to seek and save the lost, and Paul, in Ephesians 5 calls the church Christ’s bride, and as such, our focus should be the same Continue reading

When we lose something, we usually recognize it is lost. Where are my car keys? Where is my wallet? (Where is my voice? I lost my voice!) When we lose these things, we try to retrace our steps and find the last place we left the object. How does this apply to our faith? Our Continue reading

In this lesson, we’re going to look at the story of the Good Samaritan. In our Old Testament stories, we’re seeing that lack of concern for others was a huge issue both the northern and southern kingdoms had, and, in Jesus’ time, this was no different. Who Is My Neighbor? In Luke 10, Jesus is Continue reading

What would you think if someone began his prayer by saying “amen” before commencing with the rest of the prayer? How do we use this term “amen?” It is transliterated from Hebrew, meaning, “It shall be so,” and it is typically in response to or at the end of a statement. Jesus, however, used it Continue reading

In our last study, we looked at how the universal church is made up of individuals converted to Christ rather than made up of individual congregations. We are not converted to the church. We are converted to Christ. How does this apply to membership retention? Again, if we have individuals converted to the church rather Continue reading

During the beginnings of church history, Christians lived in risk of their own lives. Many instances in Acts record Christians being specifically threatened and the general risk that followed those who spoke of Christ. One such persecutor was Saul, and, when he was converted, God said that he would suffer many things for His sake Continue reading