Church Blog

In the first century, finding someone else’s buried treasure was not as uncommon as it might be today: The only safe place to hide something was in the ground. Jewish law expressly stated that the “finder” was to be the “keeper,” and thus this parable suggests nothing unethical in the man’s practice. In the little parable in Matthew 13:44, the man who discovered the hidden treasure recognized that what he had found was worth everything else he had! Even though…

Verizon made this question popular nationwide in commercials advertising their cell phones. Many listened and bought their phones. This same question is asked several times in God’s inspired word. Sometimes it was asked by God to man, and other times it was asked by man to God. In Matthew 13:1-9 Jesus told the parable of the sower or the different types of soils. According to Matthew 13:10-17, Jesus, when answering the Apostles question as to why He spoke in parables,…

The mustard seed was generally considered the smallest of all seeds in the ancient world. It was the smallest seed commonly used by the Jews, and it was frequently used as a metaphor in their speech to describe something infinitesimally small. Despite its small size, this tiny seed can grow into a bush that can reach as much as twenty feet tall, big enough to support bird nests. Found in three of the four gospel records (Matthew 13:31-32; Mark 4:30-32;…

Jesus gave five parables very short parables that deal with various characteristics of “the kingdom.” Eleven of His parables begin with the statement “the kingdom of heaven is like….” To make sense of the comparisons He made in these parables, it is helpful to understand how those who heard them would likely have interpreted the words, “the kingdom of heaven.” In the old testament, the people of national Israel were chosen by God to be His special people. When Gideon…

(Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:3-20, Luke 8:5-15) This is probably the best known of all Jesus’ parables. It appears that He told it early in His period of ministry, and it was presented by the Sea of Galilee, near Capernaum. The figure of a “sower” (farmer) would have been very familiar to those who heard this parable. Farms in Judea were small, divided by pathways between the fields rather than by fences. The soil of these paths tended to become compacted…

Rich Mullins compiled the words to a spiritual song, which was released in 1988, titled “Awesome God.” “Our God is an awesome God; He reigns in heaven above; With wisdom, power, and love; Our God is an awesome God.” It is a simple arrangement; yet, the words are powerfully true! Briefly, let’s consider four principles that the song sets forth to remind us of our God who should fill us with awe. First, the song reminds us that our God…

In Matthew 9:10-13, Jesus called a tax collector to become one of His disciples. The Pharisees objected, and Jesus’ response is truly instructive: “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.’” The complainers would have agreed that “publicans and sinners” were “sick” with sin, but they…

There may have been more foolish speculation about the second coming of Jesus and the judgement day than on any other topic in the Bible. Some examples; “judgement day” occurs immediately at death; there will be a “rapture/secret rapture” and X years of “tribulation,” followed by an earthly reign by Jesus; “well, we can’t know anything for certain;” and there are many other “views” as well. There is a lot confusion and disagreement in the religious world about both the…

Unity among those who seek to serve and please God is a laudable goal! “Unity” and “union” are not interchangeable, however; they are NOT the same thing, and they do NOT produce the same results! Long ago, David proclaimed, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). The fellowship we enjoy as God’s children is a precious blessing, and this is true whether we are gathered for worship, or simply for…

Twenty-first century society seems to thrive on worry; the environment, terrorism, environmental pollution, deforestation, vaccinations, “good” vs. “bad” parenting (be a PARENT, not an enabler!); the list of things about which we “should” worry seemingly has no end. Some people even worry about not having enough to worry about! Do you suppose the apostle Paul ever worried? In 2 Corinthians 2:13, he was “unable to relax” – worried – because he didn’t find Titus when he arrived in Troas. Christians…

What is “hope?” Some describe it as a goal, others simply as a desire; still others might consider it an illusion. In 1 Corinthians 15:19-20, the apostle Paul plainly implies that Christians HAVE it because we are “in Christ.” For Christians, hope should be a treasured possession! An Arabian proverb says, “He who has hope, has everything,” and a Russian one declares that, “In the kingdom of hope, there is no winter.” Not all “hopes” are equal: Some are unrealistic,…

Exodus 20:7 reads, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” I suspect that we do not have a broad enough concept of what this verse means. We apply it in terms of cussing and profanity, or using the “G” word. This commandment goes far beyond profanity. This commandment protected the holiness of God. The word “take” means to take upon…