Building on the Foundation

It's always a pleasure to get into the Word of God for a deep dive into what He has to say to us, and this particular series of studies is no different.  I’m particularly excited to present this specific project to you all, and it has been the largest project I've put my time toward since I began writing for this blog. My goal with this series of posts is to approach the biblical truth surrounding the topic of marriage with as much directness and perhaps even bluntness as possible. No beating around the bush, just the plain and simple truth of what God has revealed in His word.  I'm not a greatly experienced man in marriage, even though I am married, but the purpose of this article series is not to provide sage advice based on decades of practical experience. The purpose of these articles is to present the wisdom contained in the Word of God as simply and plainly as possible.  There are many sensitive topics surrounding marriage, but because of the purpose in writing, th...

  Both Old and New Testaments warn us again and again about false teachers and false doctrines. As we’ve observed before, it is so easy to be deceived if we don’t continually stand guard against it. In one of these many warnings, the apostle Paul wrote, “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3). What is this simplicity Paul spoke of? “Simplicity” is Strong’s # G572, haplotēs . Thayer’s Greek Lexicon defines it as, “singleness, simplicity, sincerity, mental honesty; the virtue of one who is free from pretence and dissimulation; openness of heart manifesting itself by benefactions, liberality.” Elsewhere in the New Testament, this word is translated as “liberality” (generosity) or “sincerity.” For example, “he who gives, with liberality [ haplotēs ]” (Rom. 12:8). The Septuagint employs this same Greek word to describe integrity, innocence, or uprightness (2 Sam. 15:11...

  Building a Relationship with God. This is something I think I can safely say we all desire, but a question remains—how do we go about it? How do we make sure we are on the right track to have a successful outcome? There is an unspoken rule that works wonders, in every area of our lives to which we apply it, including this one: “To be effective at whatever it is we are trying to do, we must first educate ourselves on the “why” (the purpose), and the “how” (the process), and then based on that knowledge, develop a course of action to accomplish our goal.” This, regarding building a relationship with God, is what I would like to focus on today. The “Why” God did not create mankind to always be alone. Instead, He instilled in them a desire to have relationships with others—to be a part of something bigger than themselves. This desire when utilized properly, is a powerful motivator and wonderful blessing that has all kinds of benefits. As Eccl. 4:9-12 says, “Two are better th...