Keys to the Kingdom

"And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, 'Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' And He said to him, 'What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?' And he answered, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.' And He said to him, 'You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.'" (Luke 10:25-28)

Every Christian knows the story of the Good Samaritan. But did you know there's a lesson about the Kingdom in the introduction to that parable? In this 20-Minute Bible Study, we take a closer look.

"Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness … These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: 'Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'" (Matthew 10: 1, 5-6)

Everyone knows the Great Commission. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” But did you know that was the second commission? In this 20-Minute Bible Study, we examine the first.

Fact 1: No one knows for sure when Jesus was born.

Fact 2: Christmas is not based on a pagan holiday.

Fact 3: There’s no need to put the “Christ” back in “Xmas.”

Fact 4: There’s no reason to believe there were only three wise men.

Fact 5: Jesus wasn’t a newborn when the wise men reached Him.

Fact 6: The gifts the wise men brought were symbolic and prophetic.

Fact 7: Christmas reminds us that Jesus is the Messiah, the promised King of Kings. But it should also remind us of the promise that we can be kings!

"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. " (1 John 2:15-16)

The Bible commands: Do not love the world. But what does loving the world really mean? And what, exactly, should we be doing to avoid falling into that trap? In this 20-Minute Bible Study, we provide scripture-backed answers to these questions.

"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. " (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Do you know your 'tenses' of salvation? If not, this 20-Minute Bible Study is for you.

"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. " (Hebrews 11:6)

We must have initial faith in Jesus Christ in order to be saved. But, crucially, we must also continue to believe throughout our lives that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. In this 20-Minute Bible Study, we examine a passage from the Hebrews 'Hall of Faith' to better understand this truth.

"Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25)

The above is a great verse to begin questioning your understanding of the words “salvation” or “save” when they appear in the Bible. These words can have different meanings other than just initial salvation (or salvation from hell). In this 20-Minute Bible Study, we demonstrate this with a closer look at the precise wording of scripture.

"...if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9)

We are saved by grace through faith and not as a result of works. Yet in the above scripture, it says you must confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord to be saved. Isn’t that a work? In this 20-Minute Bible Study, we discuss and resolve this seeming contradiction.

"But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." (Galatians 4: 4-5)

The phrase most focus on from this passage, typically during the holiday season, is “God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.” This indeed ties in with the Christmas story nicely, but those with spiritual ears will hear clearly the phrase at the end of this passage, which has deep meaning. In this 20-Minute Bible Study, we explain and explore that meaning.

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. " (John 15:5-7)

In this 20-Minute Bible Study, we examine the True Vine metaphor for Jesus Christ and clear up some common misunderstandings about its meaning.