Simply Gospel

May my steps be worship. May my thoughts be praise.

  • Naboth’s Spiritual Heritage

    We’ve spent a couple of weeks considering the question of suffering, and Satan’s efforts to draw Job from God. Satan believes we all have a price, and, at some point, we will sell God out. In this lesson, we’re going to look at another way Satan tries to find our breaking point, and it begins in In I Kings 21 when Ahab tries to procure the vineyard owned by Naboth. When Ahab tells his wife for Naboth’s rejection, Jezebel appeals to his pride and conspires to kill Naboth. Once he is dead, Ahab takes possession of the vineyard. Ahab does… Continue reading

  • Compromising with Sin

    In Exodus chapter 8, over the progression of the course of the plagues God delivers to Egypt, Pharaoh tries to compromise with Moses. Instead of allowing the people of Israel to leave and worship God, Egypt’s ruler tries to change the terms. In Exodus 8:25, Pharaoh tries to get them to stay in the land while worshiping, but Moses rebuts this compromise. In verse 28, Pharaoh tries a different tack – go and worship, but not three days journey. Exodus 10:10-11, Pharaoh commands Moses to take only the men and leave the women and children behind. Finally, in Exodus 11:24,… Continue reading

  • Facing Suffering as God’s Child [Part 2]

    A Quick Recap The subject of suffering and sorrow is one with which we and many theologians struggle. Why does God allow suffering in this world. The issue centers around a couple different hypotheses: that God is either not powerful enough to prevent suffering, or He is not loving enough to relieve our suffering. Most arguments regarding God and His role in suffering boils down to one or the other of those theories. Suffering begins with sin in Genesis 3. Rebellion brings suffering. Sorrow also comes as a result of natural disasters. the wrongdoings of others or ourselves, and some… Continue reading

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  • Issumagijoujungnainermik

    Matthew 18:21 is a passage we often turn to when considering forgiveness. Despite Jesus’ teachings on forgiveness, however, we want to add our own conditions. “I’ll forgive if they ask for it.” “I’ll forgive up to a certain point.” “I’ll forgive if I feel like it.” This lesson, we’re going to look at some scriptures that govern forgiveness, and these scriptures will require us to adjust our attitudes and actions regarding forgiveness. Gaining a Brother In Matthew 18:21, Peter asks how often he should forgive if a brother sins against him. He uses an expression that infers a serious violation… Continue reading

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  • Facing Suffering as God’s Child [Part 1]

    We live in a word filled with tragedies and sorrow. We see innocents suffer unjustly. Our possessions, families, or lives may be taken by factors beyond our control. You can’t make it through a daily news report without hearing of a new shooting, abduction, natural disaster, or fatal accident. From these events comes an understandable question: why does God allow suffering in this world? It is a question theologians have wrested with for centuries, and the answers tend to boil into one of two theories. If God is inherently all-loving, He would stop suffering if He could. Therefore, He is… Continue reading

  • Where Are They Now?

    In Matthew 26:17, Jesus and His apostles are preparing for the Passover, an event we associate with the founding of the Lord’s Supper. This would lead quickly to the events of the cross and the empty tomb. These events conclude a ministry characterized by miracles, and He is followed by great multitudes in Matthew 4:25, 8:1, 8:18, 13:2, 19:2, and 21:9. Passage after passage speak of the thousands that press around Jesus, but when we come to the cross and His tomb, only a small handful are present. Where were those multitudes now? Jesus knows that many see Him as… Continue reading

  • Regarding the Collection of the Saints

    John 4:21 records Jesus answering a Samaritan woman regarding worship. She is inquiring about proper location, but he turns her attention away from the secular setting and toward the concept of worshiping in spirit and truth. It is the manner of worship that matters. Acts 2:42 records that, when Jesus’ spiritual kingdom of the church was growing, the saints would come together. One part of that worship was giving, and that’s the topic of this lesson. Contribution As Worship The question of contribution is not one of amount. It is one of attitude. Do we treat our offering to God… Continue reading

  • Live Like You Were Dying

    The song Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw came out in 2004 shortly after the artist’s own father passed away from terminal cancer. It reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Country charts, won AMC single and song of the year, CMA single and song of the year, and Tim McGraw netted an Grammy award for the song. He also performed the song in Rome for Bono’s Live 8 concert, and his song was the most played during news coverage of the event. With the possible exception of “Don’t Take the Girl,” it is easily the single most recognizable… Continue reading

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  • Taste & See the Lord is Good

    In the first part of Psalm 34, the psalmist calls upon us to taste and see that the Lord is good in verse 8, an odd expression to us. This is while David is fleeing from Saul for his life, and he ends up among the Philistines in I Samuel 21:10-12. He goes from one bad situation to another, and he realizes that he must turn to God if he is to survive to be king. During this time, he writes Psalm 34. David calls for deliverance in the first four verses, and the later part of the chapter is… Continue reading

  • Nehemiah: the Servant Leader

    Sometimes we take leadership skills from the business world and try to apply them to shepherding a flock of Christians, but these skills are often far from the type of leadership we see in the Bible. One such example we have is Nehemiah, a man who leads through service. He is one example we have of a servant leader in the Bible. A Personally Involved Leader In Nehemiah 1:1-11, Nehemiah hears of the state of Jerusalem, its walls, and the temple. His response to this news is to pray. He refers to himself as God’s servant, and he dedicates himself… Continue reading

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