I Timothy 1:5 — “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned…” One of the major pastoral concerns that animated the Apostle Paul was the impact of false teaching among the Christians at Ephesus. It was a serious threat to their love…

Song of Solomon 2:15 — “Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.” The Song of Solomon is the Bible’s great poem describing and extolling marital love. It tells the story of a young Solomon and his bride as they begin their life together. In this text,…

Luke 9:26 — “For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory…” It’s a chilling thought that Jesus might be ashamed of us when He returns. It will depend upon whether we are ashamed of Him, and…

James 3:7-8 — “Every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed…But the tongue can no man tame.” How often does our mouth get us into trouble? How often do we say things we regret? We all have a massive problem with our mouth and James wants…

Isaiah 9:6 — “And his name shall be called…the everlasting Father…” The son in this famous verse is the Son of God, the eternal Son, but He is also called “the everlasting Father.” How can this be? Isn’t this at odds with what the Bible teaches about the Holy Trinity? The Father is God, but He’s…

Luke 1:46-56 — “And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.” At this time of year we hear much about the “spirit of Christmas.” Some think it has to do with generosity, others think it has to do with family, and many would see it in terms…

Isaiah 9:6 — “And his name shall be called…The mighty God…” It is remarkable to think that a child born in the normal way would be called “mighty God!”  If this is who the famous baby born in Bethlehem actually is, then it changes everything. It changes everything for the world, and it changes everything for each one…

Luke 1:39-45 — “And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda…” When the angel announced to Mary that she would conceive and bring forth a son, he also mentioned that her elderly relative Elisabeth had become pregnant. This too was a miracle and Mary…

James 1:17 — “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights…”  In this short talk, Steve reminds us that all the good things in our lives come as gifts from God. They are gifts of grace, and His grace ought to move us to gratitude. His…

Isaiah 9:6 — “And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor…” What was the role of “counsellor” in Old Testament times? What was the counsellor supposed to do? How did people view his advice? What is a “wonderful” counsellor? And most importantly, does this name rightfully belong to the child born in Bethlehem?