Simply Gospel

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

  • Christian No More

    Some church-based commercials have made their way online that mimic the recent Mac-PC commercials. One person is a Christian and the other is a Christ-Follower. These shorts challenge the “traditional” view of formal Christianity, but they are dangerous in that they encourage us to try to follow Christ in a way that fits me rather than a way that fits Christ. Christian v. Christ Follower The term Christian literally means, “that which belongs to or pertain to Christ.” It is used three times in the New Testament: Acts 11:26, Acts 26:28, and I Peter 4:16. In each of these, there… Continue reading

  • Comfort In God

    “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 times” and “the worst of times,” so to speak. In a similar fashion, the book of Lamentations is a good-bye to an era of faithfulness. It is a funeral song for God’s people as they are taken into captivity. Lamentations 1:12, 1:16, 2:16, 3:2-6 are… Continue reading

  • The Role of Grace

    Beginning in Psalm 51:11, David asks that God not withdraw His presence, and he offers praises to God based on the salvation He provides. He will sing and tell others of God. Hezekiah says much the same thing in Isaiah 38. These two stand as examples of God’s grace to us. Amazing Grace Grace is amazing thing, but we do not always appreciate the power in God’s mercy and love. We live in fear, guilt, and trepidation because we have a hard time really accepting God’s grace. We understand the role of faith and Jesus’ blood. We understand the role… Continue reading

  • Scripture & the Christmas Story

    It is the time of year when we start to see things like “Happy Birthday Jesus” on church signs and bulletins. We’ve discussed before the importance of making sure we do things God’s way rather than man’s way, and, even among the secular world, many do understand that what is typically portrayed as the “Christmas Story” is not what happened. The Evolution of Christmas Starting in Matthew 1, we have one account of Jesus’ birth. Luke chapter 2 does much the same with a few additional details. Many elements are familiar, such as the shepherds whom the angels appear to.… Continue reading

  • Our Personal Savior

    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 or accept Christ as our personal savior, then we don’t know or accept Christ at all. An Impersonal Savior? When we focus on Christ’s ministry, often we site big, impersonal events like the Sermon on the Mount, the feeding of the five thousand, the man… Continue reading

  • Our Response to the Cross

    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 consequences. Then, we looked at the cross in God’s plan to remedy the problem of sin, and, in this lesson, we are going to look at our response to that cross. Our Response to the Cross Trust & Faith. We are wholly and completely letting… Continue reading

  • Christ, the Church, and the Lost

    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 as our Lord’s. We are His modern instrument for teaching salvation. In this lesson, we are going to look at the roles of those who teach and those who need to be saved. The Role of the Church Matthew 28:18:18-20 records the mission given to… Continue reading

  • Paul, Sin, and the Cross

    We are continuing our look at Paul’s view of the cross. In the last lesson, we looked at the problem of sin in our lives and how all have sinned and have been separated from our God. In this lesson, we are going to look at how the cross intercedes in context of this problem. Earlier in his life, Paul strove against Christ in his attempt to live pleasing to God, and, when Christ appeared to him, the meaning of the cross and all it implies came crashing down on Paul. The cross is God’s salvation, and it is a… Continue reading

  • Paul and the Problem of Sin

    Over the next three Sunday evening lessons, we are going to focus on the subject of the cross in Paul’s writings. In this specific lesson, we’re going to look at the cross and man’s plight as sinful individuals separated from God. All Have Sinned In Romans 3:23, we simply read that all have sinned. Up to this verse, Paul has been dealing with the issue of sin, and the conclusion of the matter is that all are sinful. Backing up to Romans 1:16-17, we read that the gospel is salvation’s power for all. Jew and Gentile alike are guilty (see… Continue reading

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  • Paul & Felix

    Looking at Acts 24:24-27, we read of a man named Felix who comes to hear Paul’s case, but, in listening, Felix is partially convinced by Paul. However, he did not respond to the message. In this lesson, we’re going to look at what Paul talks about and the reaction Felix has during this testimony. The Message & Response In this address, Paul speaks to three issues in speaking of faith in Christ: righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come. Righteousness is sometimes referred to “rightness with God.” It is trying to emulate godly attitudes and conduct every day of our… Continue reading