Search Results for: how the bible came to be

Has the Cross Lost its Shame? by Rob Kranz Two weeks ago, I received my MA in Old Testament from Abilene Christian University, which is another step towards my goal. My path,… Read More

I. FOUNDING In the wake of the Second Great Awakening, many sects emerged in 19th century America. A combination of religious liberty and a strong spirit of individualism fostered numerous… Read More

What was Jesus’s approach to politics? And what are the implications for us today? Opening thoughts     Politics is the management of power. Dictionary def: “the activities associated with the governance… Read More

James: background There are many Jameses in the Bible. This translates the original name Jacob. This James is the younger brother of Jesus (the 2nd of Mary’s 5 sons). Ya’akov was… Read More

This world has so many problems. We try to solve them through political means and through our freedoms to protest—and even aggressively comment about our leaders. When we think about… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 27, Tabitha (Dorcas) (13 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introductory Today’s reanimation is well-known… Read More

The Glory of the Lord We’ve covered a lot of territory—66 chapters of the Word of God (5.5% of the entire Bible), rich in content, metaphor, and power. As we… Read More

​ ​ ​​ ​ Dear Discipleship-first Friends, This post is part of series by Discipleship.org leadership, which gives reasons why we believe that Jesus-style disciple making is the best path forward for… Read More

Although our Bible’s chapter numbers are more modern, the most famous Dead Sea Scroll, the great Isaiah scroll (over 7m long, or 24′), has a small break between our chapter 33… Read More

I came across a book outlining the difference between sin and iniquity. The author defines iniquity as generational soul sin. I’m finding the book interesting and enlightening, but perplexing too…. Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 18, The Slave Girl of Acts 16:16 (14 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introduction… Read More

Moab is Undone, God Weeps Reviewing the last talk (“Babylon & Judgment Day”): The judgment on ancient Babylon, like all divine judgments, resembles the ultimate event—Judgment Day. There are connections,… Read More

Advent is a season in the traditional Christian calendar gradually developing in the centuries after the time of Christ’s apostles. If your background is in Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, etc. you… Read More

  Unity of the Spirit and “Lines of Fellowship” – Matt Dabbs Paul was much more ecumenical than I was growing up. The more I read Paul the more divisive… Read More

The apostle Paul 1 Cor 7:10-12, 15 “Not I, but the Lord” and “I, not the Lord.” Paul reveals the Lord’s will on an issue common in the Greco-Roman world:… Read More

Included in this post: My own reflections on race, as a white American (first appearing in the newsletter, 10 June 2020). Sources for reflection—if you’d like to invest in relevant… Read More

Introduction Titus was a major figure in Paul’s life, although not mentioned in Acts (which is selective). We come across him 13x in NT, 8 times in 2 Cor—also Gal,… Read More

The following two hundred plus articles are searchable nowhere else at this website, as they are found only in newsletter pdf files. USE SEARCH OR SCROLL DOWN TO THE ITEM… Read More

Sharing Solitude in Community – Brandon Bradley In my last article, we explored Henri Nouwen’s idea of a wagon wheel as a simple model of the balance of solitude and… Read More

The Biggest “But” by Rob Kranz In my last post, we looked at one of the two big “Buts” in the New Testament regarding women’s roles. 1 Corinthians 14 can seem problematic… Read More

AUTHOR Greg Koukl PUBLISHED ON 09/01/2020 TACTICS AND TOOLS Street Tactics are specific conversation maneuvers you can use to navigate graciously, safely, and effectively in what otherwise would be difficult… Read More

Pharaoh’s daughter / Pharaoh (daughter / father, and princess / king) 14th BC Exodus 1:15-17, 22; 2:1-10 The hero is a pagan, a worshipper of the Egyptian gods—the daughter of… Read More

Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Stepping into the Jordan Patrons, Prophets, and Preachers by Rob Kranz One of the advantages of teaching is that I always… Read More

Scripture: Luke 2:36-38 . Bio: Hannah (Hebrew) = Anna (Greek & Latin). In some ways she reminds us of her OT namesake (faith, presence at the house of God, deep… Read More

After the pandemic, will people return to church?   Some ministers fear the attendance decline will outlive the COVID-19 outbreak. Bobby Ross Jr. Editor-in-Chief Anote on the Facebook page of… Read More

Used with the permission of John Clayton, of Does God Exist?, who wrote this article Because we live in a time when virtually all of our information comes from news sources… Read More

Here you will find a podcast plus notes on The 4th of July (11 minutes). To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More

June 15, 2020 Dead Sea Scrolls Genetically Fingerprinted Animal skin DNA reveals some scrolls came from beyond the Qumran caves A highly technical study released on June 11, 2020 in… Read More

Used with the permission of John Clayton, of Does God Exist?, who wrote this article Because we live in a time when virtually all of our information comes from news sources… Read More

Helping a Friend with… Anxiety or Depression Part 3 This is the final blog on listening. We’ve covered ways to help your friend (or yourself) when you struggle with anxiety… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 21, The Wealthy Shunammites’ Child (16 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introduction CLEAN 21,… Read More

      Everyday Disciple Maker: Debbra Stephens CLICK HERE TO LISTEN Whether you work in sales or in a school, whether a preacher or a plumber, there is one… Read More

Douglas Jacoby,  Washington DC (1993) (recommended by Russ Ewell, San Francisco) Prejudice is ugly and widespread, knowing no borders. Yet even more detestable is the use of biblical authority to justify… Read More

Something You Can Never Be CLICK HERE TO LISTEN   Have you ever been told an expression by somebody older than you which makes absolutely no sense to your generation?… Read More

By John Ortberg on January 1, 2020 This piece has been adapted from the transcript of a sermon delivered by John Ortberg at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church on January 5, 2014, and has… Read More

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. (Matt 5:1-2 ESV) Mountains in the Bible are associated with Moses (Exod 19-20),… Read More

Are the Crusades the Ultimate Black Mark Against Christianity? by Rob Kranz “How could anyone defend a religion that would sanction the Crusades?” Having spent a year living in Jerusalem in the… Read More

In his own words, comedian Ricky Gervais went “from Jesus-loving Christian to fun-loving infidel in one afternoon.” Ricky Gervais was 8 years old. He was drawing the Crucifixion as part… Read More

History — We Are Church A Brief History of We Are Church. Excerpt from Letters to the Church, by Francis Chan. Why I Left My Megachurch In 1994, when I… Read More

Participants on the May/June 2019 Israel tour came from Canada, the Bahamas, the U.K., U.S., Cambodia, Zambia, South Africa, Singapore, and Australia. Here are their responses:   “This tour brought… Read More

“Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them” (Isa 1:14). I also find something… Read More

If you read the Bible—especially the New Testament—it’s pretty easy to come away with a bad impression of Samaritans. In fact, most of us would probably rank the Samaritans just… Read More

Is the Holy Land the Promised Land? Leading evangelical supporters of President Trump tout the modern state of Israel as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Scholars in Churches of Christ… Read More

Weary of attacks by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen, Christians in Nigeria ask how long they’re supposed to “count it all joy.” JEREMY WEBER IN JOS| OCTOBER 19, 2018 Image:… Read More

. PAGE 1 of 2 2019 BIBLICAL STUDY TOUR (27 May—3 June) Registered to date: 35. Registered for post-tour: 16. Nationalities of participants: Singapore, Australia, Thailand, Zambia, South Africa, Bahamas,… Read More

Discipleship-First Tribe, Discipleship·org asked Roy Moran to write a two-part blog on Disciple Making Movements. We asked Roy to do this because he’s an expert on Disciple Making Movements and… Read More

How do we come to grips with the eternal destiny of the multitudes that die because of weather catastrophes like tsunamis, or atrocities like the Holocaust? First of all, we… Read More

Christians are familiar with the story of Jesus’ last night on earth: the Last Supper, Gethsemane prayer, betrayal, arrest, trial, and crucifixion the following morning. But Jesus isn’t the only… Read More

Study Suggestions (by Michelle Wright, 2018) This is in no way an exhaustive guide, but just some thoughts and passages to reflect on while we are in Israel. I hope… Read More

Dear Friend, Summer is one of the most exciting times of the year for us at Tyndale House. This year’s busy season began in May with the arrival of scientists… Read More

(Adapted from chapter 21 of The Spirit.) Jesus deliberately played down the miraculous. Then why did he do so many miracles — if they weren’t really necessary? Now, we never… Read More

How the cross became Christianity’s most popular symbol Throughout the world, images of the cross adorn the walls and steeples of churches. For some Christians, the cross is part of their daily… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (23 minutes), or right click here, in order to download, save, and listen later. 1 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I… Read More

Two of the most encouraging verses in the Bible are found in 1 John 5. Verse 3 says God’s commands aren’t burdensome. Walking in the light—and basking in it—isn’t only… Read More

“Let me start off by saying that I’ve gotten incredibly lucky and have no student debt at all.” -Said No One Ever Just kidding. Many have been blessed tremendously to have… Read More

In the first part of chapter two John warns his readers to follow Jesus, not the world. He is responding to a serious problem. Christians are defecting, leaving the faith. In the second… Read More

In the late first century, there were false concepts of Jesus circulating in the Christian world. Just as today there are numerous false Jesuses (perhaps best known is the one… Read More

As noted in the last message, it is possible that the Gospel of John concluded with chapter 20, and that chapter 21 is an addition, either by the original author or by someone… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (19 minutes), or right click here, save and listen later. 18:1 After Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples… Read More

Jesus has been preparing his apostles for the persecution to come (15:18 into chapter 16). Persecuting Christians will come to be seen as service to God (v.2). John’s gospel was… Read More

Having heard Jesus’ prediction of his betrayal, and death, the apostles are understandably anxious. That is why in 14:1 Jesus tries to calm them. We too may have our own reasons for… Read More

Jesus speaks to the apostles in chapters 13-16, on the eve of his death. For an excellent study on John 13:31-17:26, read The Last Discourse, by James Greig. Even though he knows… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (19 minutes), or right click here, save and listen later. 27 Now is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, deliver me… Read More

In the previous chapter Jesus proved that he was truly the light of the world. Here we find the third and fourth I am statements: “I am the door” (vv.7,9)… Read More

This entire chapter illustrates how Jesus is the light of the world (8:12; 9:5). Without him all are blind. Click on the arrow to play the podcast (21 minutes), or right… Read More

Last time (lesson 17) we stopped at John 8:11. The rest of chapter 8 reveals an escalation in tensions between Jesus and the Jewish leadership. The acrimony culminates in an… Read More

The beginning section of today’s podcast (on John 7:53-8:11) some may find a bit academic, or even unsettling. Please bear with me; certain explanations need to be made. Soon we… Read More

Today we finish John 4 and begin John 5. Click on the arrow to play the podcast (25 minutes), or right click here to download and listen later. 43 When the two… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (18 minutes), or right click here to save and listen later. 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,… Read More

We come to the ever-popular John 3!  While most who profess Christ know only verse 16, the entire chapter is chock-full of incredible passages. For example, verse 16 requires faith… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (24 minutes), or right click here to listen later. Introduction Jesus’ core group of disciples, his apostles, has grown. In chapter 2 he… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (20 minutes), or right click here to listen later. Last time we looked at the first two days; today we will read about… Read More

In this lesson (20 minutes), we will finish our study of the prologue (1:1-18), which sets the stage for the entire gospel. Click on the arrow to play the podcast,… Read More

Like most people, I make New Year’s resolutions, but I have a unique focus with some of my goals. I want to want what God wants, and God wants more… Read More

I’m writing to share a recent blog post—an excerpt fromBecoming a Disciple Maker, a free eBook Greg Wiens and I wrote. The article’s called “We Can’t Be Like Jesus If… Read More

OCTOBER 30, 2017 / STEVEKINNARD TEAMwork A Bible Talk for Athletes (and everyone else) Opening question: Name someone who has been a great teammate to you. Explain why. I think of a… Read More

In your school days, maybe you loved science class, or perhaps you dreaded it (I hope not). I’ve been a science lover since childhood — these were the early years… Read More

The following material appeared in the weekly newsletter from 27 September to 11 October 2017. This series was adapted from The God Who Dared (1997), the next version of which was titled Genesis,… Read More

How long are the days in Genesis 1? Some of my friends insist they can only be regular 24-hour days. Others think they may be long periods of time. I’m… Read More

To listen to the third podcast in the series on Christian identity, Why I Am Not an Evangelical—or Am I? (32 min), click on the arrow. To download and listen… Read More

To hear the podcast (54 mins) titled Why I Am Not a Protestant, click on the arrow. To download and listen to it later, right click here and then on ‘save… Read More

Before I became a Christian, I smoked marijuana regularly for over 10 years. It helped me with anxiety and depression, and I wasn’t “high” when I smoked it. I took it in… Read More

I found a website proving that radical Islam is prophesized in the book of Revelations 6:1-8. Surely it cannot be a coincidence that the colors of the four horsemen of the apocalypse –… Read More

Report from Madrid Greetings from Madrid, Spain! I made my plunge into Europe in August of 2016, which was made possible with a scholarship from the International Bible Teaching Ministry,… Read More

To listen to CLEAN podcast 23, The OT Saints of Matthew 27 (9 minutes), click on arrow. To download and listen later, right click here and choose ‘save target as’ or ‘save link as’. Introduction… Read More

What about survivalism? Are these people on the right track biblically? Can Christians be “survivalists”? Survivalism as a popular movement is well worth understanding, especially as some Christians are attracted to… Read More

In Luke 19:9-10, Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to… Read More

The phone rings, and I pick up. “Hello.” A panicked voice blurts out “Is Guy Hammond there?” “This is Guy, who’s this?” “My name is Henry James (not his real… Read More

To hear my review of Reza Aslan’s Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth (2013), click on the arrow. The review is 58 minutes in length. Listen, or just read… Read More

For O.T. Lesson 42, Ezra & Nehemiah (21 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More

[Guest article] December 19, 2016 So here we find ourselves in the United States, a full decade behind our neighboring Canadians, in a land where gay marriage is not only… Read More

In Matthew 24:36 Jesus said that only God knows the day and time (not even the Son). Is that only because Jesus was human and limited, though once back in glory,… Read More

I was happy to see you and listen to your speech when you came to Russia. My question is about Mathew 18:17. What does it mean — to treat a sinner as… Read More

For O.T. Lesson 38, Hezekiah (30 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and… Read More

Here is an assortment of comments on the Paradigm Series, sent in from all over the world (Africa, Asia, Europe, the Americas, and Australia). We have edited some of them… Read More

Famous Christians 1: Nicholas of Myra This is the story (16 minutes) of Nicholas of Myra, a 4th century Christian leader, who became “Saint Nick.” Though Christmas lore is nearly… Read More

Showing Christ’s Love to Transgender People My name is Brandon Redler and it is an honor for me to be used by God in my role as a member of… Read More

Has your church fellowship ever given any serious consideration to exploring the possibility of membership in the ecumenical organization of the World Council of Churches (WCC) as a means of… Read More

Thanks for explaining the doctrine of God’s “two books,” as I value science very much, and value rationality. A brother in another city in my country tends to think that it’s not necessary… Read More

Evolution & Genesis (for newsletter 2 Sept 2015 in Answering Skeptics, R) Nature and Scripture, as we have seen, are complementary. This means that science and theology should be complementary,… Read More

by Douglas Jacoby We would like to encourage you with the story of Michael Jacobs, 59, of Marietta, Georgia. Mike was brought up Jewish (bar mitzvah, rich cultural heritage, values… Read More

“A Muslim friend of mine rejects the incarnation. He says the following verse makes it impossible: ‘God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he… Read More

“In our ‘Bible Chat’ at our Catholic church this morning we were reading the various accounts of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, and we came across an exchange that has always… Read More

“I wanted to ask your opinion about an article I wrote on the ‘age of accountability.’ At age 12, Jesus is referred to as a ‘boy/child,’ and the (little) girl… Read More

“I’m studying the Bible with a friend who is still coming to faith. This question came up: ‘Just because God exists doesn’t mean he must be a perfect being, does… Read More

We are studying Bible with a Muslim friend who is asking us a lot of questions. For him it seems like the Bible is self-contradictory. For example, he finds contradictions in the books of Samuel,… Read More

Adapted, with permission, from Does God Exist? January/February 2015, pp.3-9. Several years ago a spruce tree was discovered in Sweden that was determined by carbon dating to be 9,550 years… Read More

Melanie Cicerchia came to faith in Christ through campus ministry at the University of Florida in 1973. She married Paul Martel, and together they served in the full-time church work… Read More

If possible, a couple should consummate the marriage sexually, fulfilling the physical aspect of the “one flesh” principle. But if they don’t, is such a couple still considered married in… Read More

I am thoroughly enjoying your audio recording of Revelation & the End of the World. I am almost finished with my research but have reached a point of uncertainty concerning Domitian… Read More

After his death and resurrection, Jesus gave the charge, the “Great Commission,” to the eleven faithful apostles. Let’s take a look at this passage and see what conclusions we can… Read More

What is going on in the Law, where the Israelites are told to bury their waste? I’ve heard that God’s main intention was to protect his people from sickness. Am… Read More

Author: John Clayton of Does God Exist? Used with permission. When Richard Dawkins released his now famous atheist rant against God, he opened the door for many arm-chair atheists on… Read More

For O.T. Lesson 30, David (17 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and… Read More

Will all of national Israel be saved in the end times? This is certainly a beautiful thought, yet are we to take Romans 11:26 literally? In this podcast I offer… Read More

Don’t Just Survive. Thrive! Using Psalms to Help You Soar Table of Contents Thriving—or Just Surviving? Psalm 23 Two Paths: Psalm 1 God’s Word in the Psalms: Psalms 19 &… Read More

Our next podcast is 1-3 John–Christ and Antichrist (12 minutes). To download, right click on the link and click “Save Link As” or “Save target As” – Download Podcast Senses… Read More

Christ Through the Ages, 19: Hebrews–Not Just Superior, But Supreme!  Listen to the podcast (19 minutes) — and learn. To download, right click on the link and click “Save Link… Read More

To download, right click on the link and click “Save Link As” or “Save target As” – Download Podcast Learn about Christ, Our Gracious Guide to Eternal Life (19 minutes)… Read More

What is your take on the recent Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriages? And advice? Following the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision to legalize “gay marriages,” here are a… Read More

Biblically speaking, are married couples who are physically able required to have children, or can a couple come together in marriage for the sheer enjoyment of one another’s company and… Read More

INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS’ SEMINAR SCHEDULE The theme of the 2013 International Teachers’ Seminar is 4-Dimensional Bible Study: How History, Geography, Archaeology, and Culture Bring the Scriptures to Life. The Bible is a… Read More

Douglas Jacoby Douglas Jacoby is an international Bible teacher who served as a minister on church staff for 20 years (London, Birmingham, Sydney, Stockholm, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Washington DC). Since 2003… Read More

Ken & Kat’s Big Jacoby AdventureSeptember 2011By Ken Watson My wife and I would like to do something different for our vacation this year.  Maybe something that would help others and… Read More

(used with permission) There is a church in my town which features inspirational speakers, although they never mention sin or salvation through Jesus Christ. Sometimes they seem to say that… Read More

Used with the permission of Edward Fudge, of gracEmail. A gracEmail subscriber writes: “My 12-year-old child asked me the other day why she is permitted to say some words but… Read More

A Christian response to Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons29 August 2009 Dan Brown is a great writer, and knows what the average person will find intriguing. I really enjoyed his… Read More

Review of the Jacoby/Price debate, Jesus: Man, Myth or Messiah? A debate on the question “Jesus: Man, Myth or Messiah?’ was put on by the Apologetics Research Society (ARS) as… Read More

WHY DO THE NATIONS RAGE? Gospel Solutions to Prejudice and Separation 2009 International Teaching Seminar, August 14-16 Atlanta, Georgia  by Steve Staten Can the gospel that is proclaimed for “every… Read More

Christian Anti-intellectual and the Disciple’s Worldview, as understood by Jason Goble This is the third essay on the Disciple’s Worldview. Before your eyes glaze over at the title, ask yourself… Read More

Croatia, one of the republics of the former Yugoslavia, lies in south central Europe. In 1991, Croatia proclaimed independence by holding its first democratic elections. The land extends from the… Read More

CREATION DEBATE A SMASHING SUCCESS! by Jeff Chacon (Tampa), 10/29/08 The large ballroom at the University of Florida was buzzing with excitement and packed to overflowing Monday night as over… Read More

  Reality is the hardest thing to correctly perceive. To know reality is to know truth. (The terms can be used interchangeably). Or, reality is the state of things as… Read More

Click here to download the article. Or just read it below. Introduction: Read 2 Cor. 8:1-9; 14-15 God has given more to us than we need, so that we may help others… Read More

Dead Sea Scrolls to go digital on Internet By Joseph Nasr Wed Aug 27, 9:37 AM ET JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Scientists in Israel are taking digital photographs of the Dead… Read More

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,402483,00.html JONATHAN HUNT: Why, after 25 years, did you change? MOSAB HASSAN YOUSEF: I believe that all those walls that Islam built for the last 1,400 years are not existing… Read More

I am often asked about the merits of various Bible translations. Like many of my readers, I was brought up on the NIV.  When I became a Christian (1977), the… Read More

From the Jan/Feb issue of Does God Exist? Vol 35, no. 1. Used by permission of John Clayton.   It is difficult to pick up a newspaper or a scientific… Read More

TESTING THE FAITHBishop: Christians don’t go to heavenAnglican challenges widespread belief, says believers asleep until God returns Posted: February 10, 20082:49 pm Eastern © 2008 WorldNetDaily   A bishop described as "one… Read More

A few brothers in Bangalore, India were falsely imprisoned for preaching the gospel. They are now out on bail. For details, please see message below from Shajus Philip, preacher in… Read More

Common Misconceptions  The study of conscience biblically is a very interesting study, due partly to how misunderstood the subject actually is by many.  For example, it is common to hear… Read More

 From The Voice of the Martyrs     Weekly News on Persecution IssuesFrom Around the World. Click Here to Subscribe to Our Weekly Email Alerts.          … Read More

Used with permission from John Clayton, from the November/December 2007 Does God Exist? bulletin Baby Killer Chimpanzees. We constantly are given the picture that chimpanzees are peaceful, nearly human relatives… Read More

My name is Aung Ko Ko Win. I am a Burmese brother, who converted to Christianity in 1996 in Yangon, Myanmar. I was met by one of the brothers and… Read More

2026 Jan: A Call to Rise (Resiliency Training)—conclusion of 10-month course Jan: Atlanta Braves Front Office Bible Study (4 days, Sermon on the Mount) Jan: Online communion services (weekly throughout… Read More

What Did Paul Really Mean? “New perspective” scholars argue that we need, well, a new perspective on justification by faith. Simon Gathercole | posted 8/10/2007 08:48AM Pick up any recent… Read More

Any study of prophecy eventually leads us to Christ. Prophecies about the Messiah are called “Messianic” prophecies. The term “messiah” comes from the Hebrew Massiah, which means “anointed one.” The… Read More

In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. — George Orwell (1903-1950) A willingness to live with unresolvable questions is a mark of intellectual maturity,… Read More

PREACHING AND PREACHERS (EXPANDED) DR. DOUGLAS JACOBY JUNE 2004 I. INTRODUCTION Like many of us in the conservative wing of the Restoration Movement” “[1] I was exposed to biblical preaching… Read More

Putting “Supper” Back in the Lord’s Supper This essay aims to address one of the basics of the faith: our communion. People have often asked such questions as why we… Read More

Here are a podcast and notes on The Hadith, Pt. 1 (36 minutes). To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and… Read More

READING THE HOUSEHOLD CODE IN COLOSSIANS FROM AN ETHICAL PERSPECTIVE BY JASON GOBLE APRIL, 2013 Introduction The ancient church outside the synagogue began its existence in Greco-Roman households making the… Read More

For N.T. Character Study 35, The Servant Girl Who Challenges Peter, (16 minutes), click on the play arrow. To listen to it later, download by right clicking here, and choose… Read More

Here are a podcast and notes for Psalms 19 and 119: The Word of God (25 minutes). To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as”… Read More

For N.T. Character Study 31, The Mother and the Seven Brothers (19 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save… Read More

Here are a podcast and notes on Decalogue F: The 6th Commandment (13 minutes). To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More

Here are a talk and notes on Mormonism (47 minutes). To download, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and you can download and… Read More

I’d like to ask for some advice. Right now I’m struggling with my faith. I’ve always asked questions and really had a desire to seek the truth. In doing so… Read More

Here is a lesson and notes on The Structure of the New Testament (51 minutes). 1. Process The NT is a library more than it is a single book. The library… Read More

For N.T. Character Study 24, Pilate (23 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More

I was reading an article yesterday and came across a reference to the definition of metanoia that surprised me. And I would value your input on same: “Remember, presence does… Read More

Here are a podcast plus notes on Communication in Relationships (18 minutes). The speaker is Cristian Paduraru, of Romania. To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link… Read More

This lesson (notes and podcast) is a critique of Ron Moseley’s Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church (40 minutes). Introduction To download the podcast, right… Read More

To hear Prayer & Fasting (40 minutes), click on the play button: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and… Read More

For the N.T. Character Study 12, Judas (27 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save… Read More

For N.T. Character Study 4, Joanna (12 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More

For N.T. Character Study 1, Jesus (40 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More

What do you think about Randy Alcorn’s book Heaven? Is he right that heaven will be down here on earth? When I read Alcorn’s 2004 bestseller Heaven, I expected to… Read More

Listen to The Antichrist (14 minutes). To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and you can download the podcast and listen… Read More

In this posting I respond to the questioner section-by-section, since the question was much longer than the normal 100-word limit allows. His words are in italics (as usual); mine, in… Read More

I can’t understand the Protestant interpretation of John 6. In your opinion, is there anything true in the Catholic Church’s teachings today? It is making some outlandish claims, notably that you… Read More

Here are a podcast and notes on Amos, lesson C (18 minutes).   To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and you… Read More

I’ve read in a number of commentaries that say the time period mentioned in Exodus 19:1 is the same as the length of time between Passover (or Firstfruits) and Pentecost. Exodus… Read More

Thanks for recommending some reading (in the past) so that our family will be able to make an informed decision regarding what we believe about creation. We are a home-schooling family… Read More

To hear The Sabbath (40 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and… Read More

THE LORD’S SUPPER Putting "Supper" Back in the Lord’s SupperThis essay aims to address one of the basics of the faith: our communion. People have often asked such questions as… Read More

We need to hear something from you about “The Secret” as seen on Oprah. This is beginning to sweep through our church and I know it must be affecting others… Read More

For the O.T. Lesson 9, Rebekah (30 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More

For the O.T. Lesson 8, Ishmael (26 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as”… Read More

Ransom is 12 minutes in length. To listen, click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as”… Read More

Some time ago, I rather surprisingly came across the following Scripture in Jeremiah 8:8: "How can you say, ‘We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord,’ when… Read More

Mark 10 has Jesus saying in reference to his death, "The Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the Law. They will condemn him… Read More

To listen to Ghosts (14 minutes and 17 seconds), click on the play button below. To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More

Following is a paper I wrote on the topic of Original Sin. The talk includes everything in the paper –and a little bit more — and is 27 minutes in… Read More

You wrote that those who received John’s baptism probably didn’t get baptized again. So how then did they get the indwelling or seal of the Holy Spirit? Did John’s baptism… Read More

To hear the podcast (30 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and you… Read More

I believe that priorities in financial giving need to be changed. Christians feel their obligation to God has been fulfilled if they give to support the work of the ministry… Read More

I have a question about Jesus. The Bible says everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Jesus came down as a man to be just like… Read More

For O.T. Lesson 5, Sarah (38 mins), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as”… Read More

In your Q&A on polygamy you state that if the laws of a country allow polygamy then we should obey it. How then can we not recognize homosexual marriage if… Read More

I am facing a little persecution from my family, who are trying to convince me that Hinduism came earlier than Christianity. However, I defended my faith, as I believe that… Read More

For the O.T. Lesson 4, Abraham (40 minutes), click on the button:   To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and you can download… Read More

What exactly is Zion? I know it’s a place, but I can’t figure out where to start on my own study about it. It is almost as if the name… Read More

Hebrews 1 and Psalms 2, taken together with several passages including Genesis 1, John 1, 1 John 1, Revelation 19 (Jesus the "Word of God") and Philippians 2 lead me… Read More

Between the last book of the O.T. and the start of the N.T. there was no record of God speaking to his people — a period of over 400 years…. Read More

I’m just writing to ask what your opinion is on the appointment of elders. Do you think elders need to be appointed, or are there situations where they may take… Read More

I heard about the controversy over the “gender-neutral” language in the TNIV New Testament after it was published in 2002. After becoming aware of some of the problem passages in… Read More

I have been studying out the name of Jesus and I have some questions. I know that Joseph and Mary were told by God to name our Savior Jesus, but… Read More

I just finished reading and studying Revelation, and here is my question: If Herod Agrippa I sent John to the Island of Patmos, when did he do it? My Bible… Read More

[Question submitted to DJ and Gordon Ferguson] A couple of members of our church have a question regarding anointing a sister who has been ill for some time. What does… Read More