Hebrews 8:8-12 is a direct quote from Jeremiah 31:31-34 which contrasts the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven under the new covenant with the houses of Israel and Judah under the Old Testament.  The Old Law was written on tablets of stone.  The new covenant under Jesus Christ is written on the hearts and minds of His kingdom's citizens.

What do all of the examples of conversion in the Book of Acts have in common?  Listen, because you might be surprised.

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The text of this podcast comes from the English Standard Version (ESV) translation of 2 Timothy 2:15.  The ESV has a certain knack for putting nebulous Greek terms into plain, easy to understand English.  Such is the case here.  Most of the English translations use the term "give diligence," but what does that mean?  Follow along with me and the ESV.

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The letters to the seven churches of Asia as recorded in Revelation 2 and 3 show a progression from Philadelphia and Smyrna, to whom the Lord does not say anything against them, to Sardis, which the Lord said was "dead."  Yet, congregations do not die over night.  Revelation 2-3 shows a pattern. 

The meaning of this analogy has been lost in our "humane" culture, but the people in Jesus's audience knew exactly what he said.  How can we take up our crosses and follow Jesus. 

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A great many sermons have been preached from Mark 12:13-17, but most miss Jesus's main point.  Religion and politics make strange bedfellows, so the old saying goes, and that is aptly the case in these verses.  The disciples of the Pharisees along with the Herodians think they have Jesus on the horns of a dilemma.  He cannot answer their question, "Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar?" one way or the other without injuring the sensibilities of one of the groups.  So, the Master Teacher did what He was good at--turning a physical discussion into a spiritual lesson.  While paying taxes to Caesar is lawful, He says, there is something even more important.

What did Jesus mean in Matthew 13:45 when He compared the kingdom of Heaven to "a merchant in search of fine pearls"?  Here is an expansion of the parable.