What does it mean for the church to be a body of Christ? Just as the health of our own bodies is important to us, Christ cares about the health of his church and has called us in scripture to be a united, growing, and maturing church.

What is truth? In a world where that views truth as subjective, variable, and unknowable, the church stands in a unique position to declare that the truth, founded in the one true God alone, is as solid and unchanging as God himself. The call to the church is one of steadfast faithfulness to firmly uphold the truth that has been revealed to us through Christ.

The church being a flock is not a flattering metaphor when we understand what it means to be like sheep. But the point of the comparison is that it points us to our need for the good Shepherd himself. Throughout history and into eternity, God has designed, desired, and defined the means by which he lovingly shepherds his people.

Many people have sought the secret solution to improving church, adapting to the culture, and staying relevant. However, Paul reminds us that a church must not stray from this fundamental truth: that the dwelling place of God is with man. God's Spirit dwells in us, and we are God's temple.

What is the church? What is its focus, and what does it look like? In this introduction to a series on the biblical metaphors of the church, the foundational truth we must return to is that the church must be centered on Jesus Christ alone.

Where we end up in life is determined by what we do right now; our trajectory affects our destiny. As we conclude our study of 1 Samuel with the death of Saul, we find that his ending, while tragic, is not at all surprising.

Bad things happen to everyone. When we encounter trials and tribulations, what distinguishes us as faithful is our response: will we choose to reject God or to turn to him in faith and obedience for restoration?

When David finds himself on the wrong side of the battlefield, his situation prompts us to ask ourselves how our lives have gotten to this point. How are we reaping what we have sown in the past? As we consider the new year, we must consider what needs to change in our lives, and remember what hope there is in the gospel for all our sin and guilt.

As we consider the brevity of life and the Christian's future hope in God's promises, we turn to the apostle Peter who shows us what it means to live faithfully and what it means to be truly effective and fruitful in this lifetime.

Oil of myrrh was a fragrance encountered throughout Jewish life for a variety of purposes. As the third gift to the newborn baby Jesus, it points to the fullness of Christ's humanity and the very reason he came as incarnate man: to give up his life on the cross for us.