The passage invites reflection on the contrast between worldly strength and divine power. Paul's critics judged him by outward appearances, calling him "timid" in person but "bold" in letters (v. 1, 10). Paul counters by asserting that although he lives "in the flesh" (human body), he does not wage war "according to the flesh" (v. 3).The battlefield is primarily the mind and thought-life (v. 5). T...  Read More

The chapter transitions beautifully from the temporary nature of our current, earthly life to the certainty and glory of our eternal dwelling with God. Paul uses the metaphor of a tent (our mortal body) that will be exchanged for a building from God (our resurrection body). This profound hope leads to an intense desire: to be pleasing to the Lord, whether we are present with Him or still here on e...  Read More

I always love having a chance to dive into Paul’s letters, but goodness do you have to have your A-game for reading on while diving in.  I lovingly refer to Paul as, “The master of run-on sentences!”  I found this review of 2 Corinthians 1 – 4 however, to be a read that really does produce real fruit for the reader, especially the believer. The fruit that I refer to is summarized below…God IS the ...  Read More

1 Corinthians 15 is Paul’s great chapter on the resurrection of Christ and the hope of believers. He reminds us that the gospel is centered on Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, and that without the resurrection, our faith would be empty. But because Christ is risen, death has lost its sting, and we have the assurance of eternal life. This truth is not just theological—it is deeply practical,...  Read More

Paul’s central argument in these three chapters is that spiritual gifts are not badges of honor or signs of spiritual maturity; they are tools for service.REAL LIFE PRINCIPLES1. The Principle of Mutual Benefit (The "Common Good")  In Chapter 12, Paul emphasizes that while gifts vary, the Source (the Spirit) is the same. The purpose is never self-aggrandizement."Now to each one the manifestation of...  Read More

Real-Life Principle (from 1 Corinthians 9:19–23)Servant-hearted flexibility for the gospel: Paul says, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” The principle is that we willingly adjust our preferences, comfort, and even rights to reach others with Christ. Relevant ApplicationsFor Teens: Be willing to step into someone else’s world—listen to their ...  Read More

In today’s chapters we learn how Paul confronts the church on many situations regarding sexual immorality, church discipline, solving legal problems among believers, and exhortation on how married, single and/ or widow Christians should live. Paul is doing a strong call to the Corinthians (and us today) to live in a way that honors God. He explains the dangers of sin and how as believers, we can’t...  Read More

Paul, author of this letter, writes to the church in Corinth. A city that, at that time, was a multicultural place, with people from different places coming for commercial purposes. It was a place of many religions and cultures just mingled together. During this time, Paul sends this letter addressing different issues within the church, and the first one we find is in these first chapters. There w...  Read More

Paul's encounter in Corinth, a city known for its moral depravity and challenging environment (Acts 18:1-11). Paul was clearly struggling with fear and discouragement, but God intervenes with a powerful, personalized message:"Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city." (Acts 1...  Read More

In 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Paul praises the believers by highlighting three outstanding qualities that defined their life and work:Work produced by faith: Their belief wasn't passive; it led to tangible effort and action.Labor prompted by love: Their hard work was motivated not by obligation or glory, but by sacrificial love for one another and for God.Endurance inspired by hope: Their perseverance t...  Read More

The Bereans are described as "more noble than those in Thessalonica" (Acts 17:11). This nobility was demonstrated in two key actions:They received the word with all readiness (openness, eagerness).They examined the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul and Silas preached was true (verification, diligence).Their nobility wasn't a matter of social class but of spiritual character. They didn't accept ...  Read More

Galatians 4:1-7 compares our former state to a minor heir who, though owning everything, is under the control of guardians and managers—essentially like a slave—until the time set by the father. Paul says we were similarly enslaved to the "elementary principles of the world" (Galatians 4:3), which can be interpreted as a life governed by the law, rules, or even worldly systems and false gods.Real ...  Read More

Paul opens this letter to the Galatians, immediately asserting his authority as an apostle of Christ and reinforcing that the authority comes directly from God and not human appointment. The Galatians at the time were pulling away from the gospel and beginning to accept a corrupted version being spread by false teachers. He is urgently conveying to the people to treat the false teachers as accurse...  Read More

Here in Chapter 15, Paul and Barnabas are up against it once again. The council at Jerusalem, which was comprised of delegates from the churches in Jerusalem and Antioch, were meeting because of an “urgent” question for the early church. It concerned the conversion of Gentiles. This real problem for the Jewish Christians was not whether Gentiles could be saved, but whether Gentile believers also h...  Read More

You may get a sense of Déjà vu when reading the book of James, especially since we just finished up our James Series – Real Faith, Real Life, which I strongly suggest you go back and listen to because it was so good!  James 1-5 teaches us the utmost importance of living out one’s faith through actions, not just with words.  Finding joy in trials, seeking wisdom from God, favoritism, and the untama...  Read More

Chapter 13 in the book of Acts concerns the transformation of Saul to Paul.  It gives an account in verses 9-10 when God refers to Saul as Paul, since his conversion, which happened on his journey on the road to Damascus.  The Holy Spirit led Paul to confront Bar-Jesus with his sin.  There is a time to be nice and a time to confront.  Ask God to show you the difference and to give you the courage ...  Read More

But the word of God increased and multiplied – Acts 12:24Acts 11, Peter communicates in Jerusalem that the gospel is not only for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well. We learn about the amazing progress the church is making in Antioch and how there was great unity among the believers when they needed relief. Acts 12 Christians aren’t having an easy time, King Herod persecuted them. Peter was ar...  Read More

Sometimes God doesn’t ask.He interrupts.He steps into the middle of our lives, shining a light so bright that we can’t ignore Him.Sometimes, that interruption changes everything.Acts 9 tells one of the most dramatic stories of God’s intervention in Scripture. Saul, a man zealous for the wrong cause, is racing toward destruction. His heart is hard, his mind fixed, and his mission is one of persecut...  Read More

Standing Firm in the Face of PersecutionActs 7 contains the final words and martyrdom of Stephen, the first Christian martyr. His defense before the Sanhedrin is a powerful summary of Israel's history, demonstrating how they continually rejected God's messengers—culminating in their rejection of Jesus, the ultimate Prophet.1. The Power of Looking Up (Acts 7:54-56)After summarizing the history of I...  Read More

It is so hard to be bold in our day. We face criticism, rejection, peer pressure, and, sadly, most of the time, we tend to abandon what we believe and just go with the flow of what society dictates.This was not the case for the apostles. Just as they were starting their ministry without Jesus with them, they had to face such hard times like being threatened, put in jail, beaten, just because they ...  Read More

Tongues: Earthly Languages for Universal WitnessWhen the disciples began to speak, the crowd was astonished because they heard the message in their own native languages and dialects.Understanding "Tongues" in Acts 2The "tongues" in Acts 2 were real, known, earthly languages, not gibberish. The text is explicitly clear on this:The crowd consisted of devout Jews from "every nation under heaven" (v. ...  Read More

Luke 24 has a lot going on, but the central focus of the whole chapter is that Jesus is Alive and his resurrection changes everything. The chapter starts with an empty tomb. When the women visit Jesus’ tomb and find it empty, they report it to the disciples, who investigate for themselves and also find it empty. Next, we see a resurrected Jesus joining two disciples on the road and sharing scriptu...  Read More

A summary of Mark 16: Grief turns into Hope, Doubt turns into Belief and Fear turns into Joy.As the women approached the tomb in grief, where was their faith in the resurrection of Jesus?  They had gone to prepare the body as was custom.  Then they found the tomb open, and Jesus gone.  In fear, they ran to tell the disciples.  Then Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and then he appeared to the two o...  Read More

This chapter is full of teachings. I chose to focus on the section of scripture where Jesus addresses the daughters of Jerusalem. Also, the forgiveness shown at the cross.So far, Jesus has been on trial and sentenced to crucifixion. He has endured hatred from religious leaders, a sleepless night, being scourged and is now on a very public two mile walk. It was on this walk that the compassion Chri...  Read More