The most momentous event that has ever occurred in human history is the crucifixion of Jesus and His subsequent resurrection. And the most important question with which anyone can ever wrestle is the significance of the crucifixion. Why did Jesus die? And why was the murder of the Son of God something that we call “good”? Isaiah 53 helps us to answer these questions.

Psalm 121 is one of the more familiar of the psalms and no doubt the favourite of many—probably because of the confidence that it evokes with the oft-repeated refrain of the Lord being our keeper. The psalm reminds us that there is absolutely nothing that can separate us from the love of God. He guides us and He guards.

Being a member of the church is an inestimable privilege. But no one has said it more clearly, more emphatically, more authoritatively and more persuasively than the apostle Paul. As he brings Ephesians 2 to a close, the apostle prepares to clang his exegetical cymbals to a crescendo as he uses three metaphors to describe the church of Christ: a kingdom, a family and a building (a temple).

Each of these are important designations, as we shall see. But perhaps the most stupendous description of all is found in the last phrase of the last verse: “a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”

As we bring our study of Ephesians 2 to a close, I trust that we will come away with a greater appreciation of who we are because of what God in Christ has done by the power of His Spirit.

Lying is one of the most endemic sins of our age—in fact, of any age. Psalm 120 speaks to the issue of lying. Some lies affect us in a direct way; others less so. Psalm 120 helps us to know how to deal with the lies that are sometimes maliciously cast our way.

Jeremiah 11:18–12:4 is the first of a series of intimate conversations between Jeremiah and Yahweh about Jeremiah’s struggles (see 11:18–12:6; 15:10–21; 17:14–18; 18:18–23; 20:7–18). These are known as “Jeremiah’s Confessions.”

The first of these Confessions arose from a threat against the prophet’s life from the residents of his hometown. Jeremiah was made aware of the plot, turned to God in prayer, and received both and encouragement of future judgement for his enemies and an exhortation to persevere in the face of even greater hardships to come.

It is important for Christians to understand the gospel. We must know what the gospel did for us, but also what the gospel can and will continue to do for us. We see something of this in Titus 3:4–8.

It is an observable fact that churches that stop believing the gospel stop sending and supporting missionaries. This makes sense, for if you don't believe the gospel there is no good news to share. But Paul urges us in 1 Thessalonians 2 to keep believing and proclaiming the gospel.

Ephesians 3 shows that the mystery of the gospel was fully revealed to the new covenant church. This text also shows us at least four important implications of the role of the local church in the Great Commission.

Gaius loved missions because beloved the truth. Diotrophes hated missions because he loved the pre-eminence. Demetrius rejected evil and chose what was good. Together, they teach us what it means to live the gospel without self-interest.

One of the most basic essentials of the church’s commitment to the Great Commission is to be able to define missions—to understand what the mission of missions is. We learn about God’s design for missions in the Great Commission as recorded by Matthew.