It is vital that we allow the Holy Spirit to transform us so that we act, think, and speak more and more like our Lord; otherwise our personal character defects may negatively impact our lives in a big way.

Eventually, as I became more and more familiar with the Bible, I realized that the Catholic Church long ago departed from Scripture in many areas. Instead of being a vehicle for people to experience the freedom of the gospel, it became an enslaving religious institution.

The Roman Catholic Church's decision to institutionalize leadership under the papacy reveals that it is not committed to Christ's rule through the Holy Spirit or to adhering to the Scriptures.

Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is a “love-hate” relationship. We are to love Him so much that all other relationships take a back seat.

When making an appeal to authority, whether we can use a little honey to make our appeal more palatable or must be confrontive, it is important to keep in mind that our attitude is important because we serve God, the one behind all authority.

How we react to and relate to authority often reveals a lot about the condition of our hearts and our openness to God.

Biblical meditation is not an emptying the mind. Instead, it involves turning the scriptures over and over in our thoughts, much as meat is turned as it roasts upon a spit.

Overcoming our reticence regarding the gospel is one of our greatest challenges.

The Bible says that the evidence of the baptism in the Spirit is speaking in tongues and prophecy.

If we want to be happy followers of Christ, the best way forward is to fall more deeply in love with him, ask him to give us his love for the lost, and rely on the Holy Spirit to develop us into proper advertisements for the gospel.