two of my favorite parables that Jesus taught are “The Prodigal Son” and the “Hidden Treasure.” there is no doubt that i gravitate toward these two passages due to personal experience. i want to define a parable and explain its purpose. i will also share relevant testimonies and take some time to go through the…
Read moreexperience the cohesion
each church needs a balance of experience and age groups to reach its highest potential. if your members are growing older and there is no influx of the next generation, the church will die off. morbid, i know. maybe you find that your church is on the other end of the age spectrum. this type…
Read morea tale of two Sauls
we can develop character through trials and daily situations. if we spend time with God in prayer and His Word, we are more likely to choose a Godly response to whatever may come our way. when life becomes too busy to fit God into your schedule, you may not act…
Read morea foreshadow of Christ
there are many examples and metaphors throughout the Old Testament of a typological foreshadowing of Christ. the shedding of blood for the remission of sins, the arrangement of the temple, and the brazen serpent. the Old Testament is our schoolmaster and leads us to the truths of the New Testament in a way that is…
Read morethe Jesus lineage
the Old Testament is full of messianic prophecies and promises that foretold Jesus’ arrival. according to Ray Konig at about-jesus.org, “Scholars differ in their answers, generally ranging from about 200 to 400.” and “Another scholar, Alfred Edersheim, concluded that there at least 456 passages in the Old Testament that Jewish Rabbis historically have interpreted as…
Read moreministry and prayer
nothing is more important, next to being born again of the water and of the Spirit, than having a prayer life. this applies to all souls everywhere, but especially the minister (and we have all been given the ministry of reconciliation). how would we reach and teach to those around us and not be in…
Read morewhy do you believe what?
i have always been fascinated by the way that we learn and develop throughout our lives. it seems some things are automatic depending on your family, your hometown, and other various support systems. why do we believe things the way that we do? is it our experiences through life? is it who has taught us?…
Read moresomewhere between an Isaiah and a Jeremiah
when studying the scriptures, in particular the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, we can see parallels of that time and some of the things we see in today’s world. both of these men faced tremendous difficulties from different sides of grace. i want to take a quick look at these men, who they were, and what…
Read morefinancial stewardship
biblically, money and finance are a hot topic throughout the scriptures. one of the reasons for so many lessons would be the controlling aspect of material goods. we can utilize several references to manage our money and become good stewards of God’s provision. i will be discussing the origins of wealth and how we are…
Read moreMarkan sandwiches
the “markan sandwich” is a unique style that the author of The Gospel According to Saint Mark incorporated within his writings. essentially, the stylistic term refers to the way Mark starts to convey a story, stops abruptly to detail another event that, by all outward appearances, seemingly has nothing to do with the first event, and…
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