The Slide Into Alcohol Abuse
The slide into alcohol abuse can be gradual and subtle. Many in society use alcohol to cope with their daily…
The spark of life
The beginning of life has always amazed me. The fact that God designed life to start from something as small…
The Spirit Brings Freedom (2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2)
Paul’s boldness in Christ Once Paul understood the change, he was strengthened and encouraged: “Therefore, since we have such a…
The Storms of Life
Years ago, traveling preachers would come to town, pitch a large tent, preach the gospel nightly for about a week,…
The Strange List of Widows (1 Timothy 5:1-16)
Most people read this chapter without thinking much about it. Almost no one has ever heard a sermon on it….
The Strange Variety of Old Testament Laws
Someone once asked Jesus, Out of all the laws in the Bible, which is the most important? (Matthew 22:36). Jesus…
The Suffering God
I don’t get it. Why does God just stand by and let such horrible things happen as go on in this …
The Superior Ministry of Jesus (Hebrews 8:1-13)
The New Testament tells us that Jesus is our intercessor, our mediator, our Savior and King. But only the book…
The Synagogue Ruler’s Wife
Matthew 9:18-19; 23-26; Mark 5:22-24; 35-43; Luke 8:41-42; 49-56 I will never, ever forget the day I met Jesus. Our…
The Syro-Phoenician Mother
Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30 I was beyond desperate. My precious little girl was terrified and completely out of her mind….
The Thief’s Story
“Two robbers were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left” (Mark 15:27). Our cell was…
The Three-Fold Meaning of the Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper is a reminder of what Jesus did in the past, a symbol of our present relationship with…
The Time Has Come for My Departure (2 Timothy 4:6-18)
Paul is in prison, waiting for his last trial. He knows that he will probably lose and then be executed…
The Trial of Job
Have you experienced pain and suffering? Then you have shared Job’s anguish and perhaps his wonderment. Like Job, you also…
The Trinity: 1 + 1 + 1 = 1 ?
It Just Doesn’t Add Up The Father is God, and the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God,…
The Trinity: Just a Doctrine?
Ask ten average Christians in ten average churches to explain the doctrine of the Trinity, and you’ll probably get ten…
The Two Natures of Jesus Christ
Critics and inquirers alike often question a core tenet of Christian belief — that Jesus Christ is both fully God…
The ultimate philosophical question
We’ve all had children ask us questions like, “Where do babies come from?” And there are the incessant “Why?” questions…
The Unclean Woman
Mark 5:21-42 People cautiously stepped aside when I walked by. Most were disgusted by my presence. I was the unclean…
The Unexpected Messiah
Why didn’t Jesus go down in history as a failure? In fact, why did he go down in history at…
The Untold "Unstory" of Trophimus
We who live by faith in Jesus Christ have no need of patron saints, secondary role models or supplementary heroes….
The Use and Misuse of Spiritual Gifts
We have come to a greater awareness of the spiritual gifts God gives his people. We understand from Scripture some…
The Weekly Sabbath — Jesus’ Example
Of all Old Testament laws, the weekly Sabbath is probably the most controversial today. Many Christians believe they ought to…
The Weekly Worship Service
I. Overview This is a suggested order for the weekly worship service of the congregation. GCI does not require a…
The Wisdom of Weakness (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)
The message about a crucified Messiah might seem preposterous to some people, but God uses that message to bring salvation…
The Woman Accused of Adultery
John 8:1-11 Just before dawn, the door to our hiding place burst open and slammed against the wall. Scribes and…
The Worst Day of Your Life Could Be the Best
Have you ever had a really bad day? Maybe you’ve been fired, totaled your car, and, just when you thought…
The Written Word of God
How do we know who Jesus is, or what he taught? How do we know when a teaching is false?…
The Yoke Was On Me!
No — it’s neither misprint nor “typo.” The yoke really was on me. Both of us, two students participating in…
Theater of the Imagination
Little did I know in my senior year of college that we were having fun participating in a centuries-old form…
Theology Affects the Way We Live
Ideas have consequences. The way we think about God affects the way we respond to him. In other words, our…
Theology as a Framework for Life and Ministry
Theology is important to us because it offers a framework for our belief in God. But there is a lot…
Theology in Perspective
Good theology is important, for bad theology distorts our understanding of God and our relationship with him. However, it’s important…
Theology, science and Genesis
Genesis is perhaps the most debated book in the Bible, largely because its purpose and nature are often misunderstood. Fundamentalists…
Theology: What Difference Does It Make?
“Don’t talk to me about theology. Just teach me the Bible.” To the average Christian, theology might sound like something…
There Is A Hole In My Campus
While visiting California recently I decided to stop off at a private parochial high school where I used to teach…
There Is Much Work to Do
Good things are happening in the church of Jesus Christ! But we cannot take credit for it — it is…
There She Is!
Every time I walked in the door, Dad would clap his hands, look pleased and say, “There she is!” He…
These Pancakes Taste Like Rubber!
About 3 pm one Tuesday, we received a phone call informing us that my Aunt Polly, my late mom’s beloved…
Think About Jesus and Be Faithful (Hebrews 3:1-19)
How can we be faithful? How can we help one another? Hebrews 3 addresses these questions. They are as important…
Think on Good Things (Philippians 4:1-9)
As Paul nears the end of his friendly letter to the church in Philippi, he encourages his readers to focus…
Thinking Out Loud – Articles by Barbara Dahlgren
From My Heart to Yours Mission/Purpose We are all capable of living out of mission. Bridging the Gap Sharing Our…
This Is Eternal Life
We invite you to participate in the same life-transforming adventure that Jesus Christ offered his first disciples. Nearly 2,000 years…
This Is Living Faith
Living faith, the kind of faith described in the Bible, can transform your life, enabling you to enjoy a close, personal…
Those Called Together
Here’s why each Christian needs the church — and why the church needs each Christian. What comes to mind when…
Thoughts about consciousness
Philosophers and theologians refer to what is called the mind-body problem. This is not a problem about fine-motor coordination (like…
Three Aspects, One Great Event
In his Gospel and epistles, the apostle John tells us that God is light, love and life. These three key…
Three Basics of Christian Life
The book of Acts tells us that the first Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship,…
Three Days and Three Nights in the Tomb?
In Matthew 12:40, Jesus says that he will be buried “three days and three nights.” We used to teach 1)…
Three Historic Christian Creeds
A creed is a brief statement of faith used to list important truths, to clarify doctrinal points and to distinguish…
Three Reasons to Give
God’s old covenant people had to give at least 10 percent of their income, plus offerings on other occasions. In…
Three Rs for Easter
Teachers tell us that to lay the foundation for a good education, students need to master the three academic Rs—Reading,…
Three Views of the Millennium
Three Views of the Millennium For many Christians, the millennium is a very important doctrine. For some, it is “the…
Three-Month Spending Worksheet
See below to download this chart in either Word or pdf format.
Time for New Methods
No sooner had I written the article “Time for New Trees” than it seemed the Lord had another series of…
Time for New Trees
It is an interesting time in the life of the Williams family apple orchard. Our 35 acres of trees in…
Time of Refreshing
Living water will refresh even the most parched and desolate of our hearts— if we believe in the One from…
Timeless Truths in Cultural Clothes: The Authority of the New Testament Writings
Most Christians accept the Bible as authoritative, as a book that gives reliable spiritual guidance. If we took a survey…