When Daniel and his friends were among the first wave of exiles taken to Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar's plan to use them as his instruments to proclaim his superiority over gods and kingdoms was egregious. The world always tries to make us forget our heritage and our God and yet the LORD always preserves a faithful remnant!

To study the book of Daniel, it is helpful to consider the historical context. God raised Daniel up as a prophet in the most ruinous of times among His people: the times of wicked kings, exile, and the mourning of a remnant. God, however, is sovereign and still cares about His people.

When Paul tells Titus to speak things suitable with sound teaching he surprisingly starts with the adornment of the Gospel before stating the Gospel. The Gospel is the basis for our behavior before God and this behavior should show evidence of how the Gospel has changed us.

In the last verses of John's Gospel, Jesus restores Peter. He questions Peter about his love for Him and challenges him to feed the sheep. Why is this so important and what does this teach us in the church today?

The apostle Paul, in verse 9, indicated that one of the duties of an elder is to be able to refute those who speak against sound teaching. This next section describes for us who such people are that need to be refuted and thus indicate the danger they pose to the members of the church, to themselves and to the world. How important, indeed, is sound doctrine!

This "addendum" to the book of John gives us yet another appearance of Jesus to His disciples, this time in an every day setting of breakfast on the beach. Although we can allow this story to prompt many questions, the details and the situation remind us that Jesus really did rise from the dead!

The selection of elders is not simply about putting warm bodies into leadership positions but about seeking the Lord's direction in ordaining qualified men to serve the church. Hear how Paul's instructions to Titus in his mission at Crete focus on the character and duties of elders.

In John's description of Jesus' appearance (twice) to His disciples, he gives us details of Jesus' resurrection body as well as a bit about the Great Commission, the importance of the Holy Spirit and the authority of the church. But perhaps most fascinating is Jesus' interaction with Thomas and how his profession of faith brings us both encouragement and confidence in Christ.

In this salutation of Paul's letter to Titus, Paul identifies himself by pointing to his relationship to God and focuses on the core message of faith, truth and godliness. All these themes will be important in the letter to Titus, whom he describes as a "legitimate child."

John, in this text, gives His testimony regarding His faith in the resurrection of Jesus. The facts surrounding the encounter of Peter and John with the empty tomb and the written account of Mary Magdalene's encounter of Jesus both point to the facts and wonders of the risen Christ.