In 1 Peter 5:2, Peter charges leaders of local churches to “shepherd the flock of God.” What does that involve? How do leaders shepherd God’s flock? The Holy Spirit uses a variety of terms to describe these leaders. Overseer – this is a manager and superintendent. This term is synonymous with “bishop” (1 Timothy 3:1). […]

Appointing shepherds is one of the most important things a church can do. While it can be a time of joy, optimism, and promise, it can also be a dangerous time. It can be a time when factions can form, gossip can spread, people can get their feelings hurt, become envious, and make the process […]

In 1 Samuel 28, we read about a disturbing episode in the life of King Saul. Saul started with a lot of potential and promise, but due to constant disobedience, he was fired by God as king. Saul has reached the lowest point of his life. He is desperate, defies God, and seeks to know […]

Among the ingredients for spiritual growth is “godliness” (2 Peter 1:7). What is godliness? What value does godliness have in a Christian’s life? Let’s continue our monthly series of lessons from 2 Peter 1:5-11 by discussing the most misunderstood ingredient for growth. Godliness Defined The words “godliness” or “godly” appear around 30 times in the […]

After years of bloody battles, it’s time to head home. You start to settle in, but before you do, you see your former soldiers standing at your gate, ready to fight — you?! What should be a time for peace has turned into a civil dispute. But it started with a whisper, someone telling someone […]

Many churches give a lot of attention to the spiritual training of the youth. There are VBS’s, youth weekends, youth devotionals, and many other kinds of studies offered to them. These venues provide wonderful opportunities for the youth to be built up and encouraged in the service of God. What about the senior saints? What […]

It’s that time of year again — ant season! The past few days, we’ve been finding trails of ants marching their way into our home, crawling on us, our countertops, and into our food. So, this morning we decided to take action to eradicate them, putting cotton balls with peppermint oil in strategic locations. Trying […]

In Acts 5:1-11, we find a terrifying and disturbing story. God strikes dead Ananias and Sapphira! Why does God kill them? He doesn’t kill David after he commits adultery and murder. He doesn’t kill Cain after he murders Abel. He doesn’t kill Peter after he denies the Lord. Consider four lessons we learn about God […]