Preaching in the Book of Acts Part 2: Paul
In Acts 11, Luke tells us about some developments in Antioch in Syria. Greek-speaking Jews had been telling Gentiles “the…
Preaching in the Early Church: A Bible Study
What is the true gospel, the gospel revealed in the Bible? There are several ways to approach Scripture to learn…
Predestination: Does God Choose Your Fate?
“I am wondering about predestination. Are some people predestined to be saved and the rest predestined not to be saved?”…
Preparing for the Lord’s Return (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Paul’s next topic is the return of Christ — the only place in his letters where he gives details about…
Principles of Effective Children’s Ministry: BRING the Children
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs…
Printable Pamphlets
The following articles are formatted in Word to fit on one sheet of paper — printed both sides and folded…
Privacy Policy
What information do we collect? We collect information from you when you register on our site, make a donation, subscribe…
Proverbs 31: Portrait of a Godly Woman
For thousands of years, God-fearing women have looked to the noble, or virtuous (KJV), woman of Proverbs 31 as their…
Proverbs: Words of Wisdom
The Importance of Wisdom: Chapters 1-9 Purpose: Proverbs 1:1-6 Solomon’s wisdom exceeded that of everyone before him. The book of…
Psalms Can Help You Pray
The Psalms show us the Old Testament community of faith relating openly and honestly to the God of Israel. They…
Psalms in the New Testament
The book of Psalms had an immense influence on New Testament writers. They have many quotes from several Old Testament…
Psalms: Thematic Collections
Different collections of Psalms In general, the psalms do not follow each other in any discernible pattern. One psalm may…
Psalms: When You Talk to God
A Psalm for every occasion The book of Psalms can be one of the most effective tools in building your…
Purposes of the Church
Why do we meet together each week for worship and instruction? Couldn’t we, with a lot less bother, worship at…
Put On the Armor of God
Christianity is a life and death struggle for eternal stakes. But we are promised victory. Rich, bustling, cosmopolitan Ephesus—a city…
Puzzles and Premises
When I hear private interpretations of the Bible, I’m reminded of Grandma Maudie’s puzzle pounding. When I was growing up,…
Question & Answers About the Lord’s Supper
What is the meaning of the Lord’s Supper? Is it wrong to use the term “Lord’s Supper”? What kind of…
Questions About 1 Timothy 2:11-15
Preface by Joseph Tkach The endnotes for this study are in a separate document. Click here to see that document. For…
Questions About 1 Timothy 2:11-15 – Endnotes
[1] Craig Blomberg, “Neither Hierarchicalist Nor Egalitarian: Gender Roles in Paul,” in Two Views on Women in Ministry (ed. James Beck and Craig…
Questions and Answers About Trinitarian Theology
Let’s address several questions and objections. Are you saying there is no difference between a Christian and a non-Christian? No….
R. J. Foster Letter About Prophecy
In November 1995, Richard J. Foster wrote the following letter to those on his Renovaré mailing list. It provides some…
Radical Love
The love of God is Foolishness …. Don’t blame me for saying this; blame the apostle Paul. In his letter to…
Rain to Rainbows
In Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, Aunt Norris couldn’t bring herself to be happy for her niece, Fanny Price. When Cousin…
Reaching out with the Gospel
What is the best, most effective way to share the gospel with others? This is a question our church has…
Ready to Do Good (Titus 2:15-3:3)
So Paul summarizes his point: “These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not…
Redeemed from the Curse of the Law (Galatians 3:1-22)
How could anyone believe it? How could the people taught by Paul himself go so quickly astray into false doctrines?…
Regrets? I’ve Had Quite a Few
Over the last couple of years I have read about a number of retiring CEOs who were asked by various…
Reincarnation
Reincarnation is the belief that after death a person’s identity or “soul” takes up residence at birth in another human…
Rejoice in the Gospel (Philippians 1:12-20)
Priority of the gospel The believers in Philippi had heard of his arrest and imprisonment, so Paul reassures them “that…
Rejoice! Christ Has Risen! a Bible Study
In one of Paul’s most emphatic statements, he declared, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and…
Relate to Children at Their Level
In the previous article in this series, we looked at the principle: Bless children with Jesus’ love. We come now…
Relationship With Christ: A Bible Study
Various words are used to illustrate different truths of the gospel. The word justification comes from a law-court setting, and…
Relationships in and out of the Church (Colossians 4:1-18)
Good words for everyone In chapter 4, Paul begins to address everyone: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful….
Releasing God’s Power Through Prayer
A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us”…
Religion in an Age of Science
McNair Lecture, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, March 23, 1993 John Polkinghorne, Queens’ College, Cambridge I have spent most…
Remember to Breathe
I have five absolutely gorgeous and delightful teenaged granddaughters, ages 13 to 18, who live nearby. It was so simple…
Remembering God
There are many positive things about aging. Unfortunately I can’t remember what they are. That’s my problem. I can’t remember…
Renewal of Wedding Vows
Introduction The officiant says: “[Husband’s first name] and [wife’s first name], you have asked to renew your marriage vows on…
Repentance
I once counseled a young man who was deeply afraid that God had rejected him because of his repeated sins. “I…
Responding to God
When I began taking medication for a minor skin condition, I was told that three out of 10 people don’t…
Responding to God With Faith
God is powerful, and he is good. He always uses his enormous power to further his promise of love and…
Responding to God With Worship
We respond to God with worship, because worship is simply giving God what is fitting. He is praiseworthy, not only…
Responding to God’s Grace in Our Relationships
How do we respond to God’s grace? One way that we respond is by extending grace to others, in our…
Responding to Jesus With Prayer
How do we respond to the risen Jesus? The book of Hebrews tells us: Since Jesus has risen into heaven…
Responding to the Church With Teamwork
Sometimes Christians assume that full-time pastors serve the Lord more than other members do. Although that may be true in…
Responsibilities in Sickness
Diseases or injuries can be some of the most severe trials of one’s life. Because the suffering of such trials…
Responsibilities to "One Another"
The Greek word allelon gives us a helpful introduction to the ways in which Christians should serve each other, because…
Resurrection and Ascension: What it Means to Be ‘In Christ’
“In Christ.” It’s a phrase we’ve all heard. Albert Schweitzer called “being-in-Christ” the prime enigma of the apostle Paul’s teaching….
Revelation 11 – The Two Witnesses
Many Christians through the ages have wondered who the “two witnesses” of Revelation 11 happen to be. The two witnesses…
Revelation 12 – Jesus and the Church
In the beginning of Revelation 12, John records his vision of a pregnant woman about to give birth. He sees…
Revelation 13 and Its "Beasts"
The two beasts described in Revelation 13 are among the most enigmatic parts of the book of Revelation, and they…
Revelation 13 and the "Mark of the Beast"
For centuries Christians have speculated about the meaning of the “mark of the beast” and the number 666, both of…
Revelation 20 – The Millennium
The idea of a thousand-year reign of Christ – a millennium – is found in only two verses in the…
Revelation 3:1-6 – Sardis: The "Dead" Church
The “dead” church The church at Sardis was described as being “dead” (3:1). It appeared to be alive – had…
Revelation 3:14-22 – Laodicea: The Complacent Church
Christ introduced himself to the church at Laodicea as “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s…
Revelation 3:7-13 – The Church at Philadelphia and the Key of David
The church that kept the faith Up to this point, phrases from the vision of chapter 1 were used to…
Revelation 6 – The Six Seals
Chapter six of Revelation continues John’s vision in the throne room of heaven. His eyes fix on the Lamb (Jesus…
Revelation 7 – Who Are the 144,000?
The 144,000 martyrs are described in the first vision John sees in book of Revelation, chapter 7. Later, he will…
Revelation It’s No Mystery
The book of Revelation holds special interest for many Christians. With its strange, many-headed monsters and mystifying symbols, Revelation has…
Revelation, Apocalyptic Writing and the Old Testament
The book of Revelation belongs to a class of chiefly Jewish (and later Christian) literature called “apocalyptic.” The word “apocalypse”…