Maturing as Christians

Paul says to Titus, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:11-12). So you see those two things that Paul says to Titus here in Titus 2:11-12. Here we’re told what God’s grace is really meant to accomplish. It’s really meant to not just save us, but to make us like Christ. The first thing the apostle says is

This teaching answers the question, “What is a Biblical prophet?” There’s a difference between prophesying using the Scriptures and being a prophet speaking directly from God.  According to Ephesians 2:20, New Testament prophets served as the foundation of the church. They spoke directly from revelation given by God.  Once this foundation was laid, and with the New Testament complete, the unique role of apostles and prophets for the purpose of laying the foundation is underst

Scripture teaches us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5–6) . We are told, positively, to trust the Lord and, negatively, not to trust our own understanding. Those two things are mutually exclusive. In other words, if we trust in the Lord, we cannot also depend upon our own ability to understand everything God is doing. While human understandin

Paul teaches, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). Believers are called ambassadors for Christ because they act as official representatives of Jesus, entrusted with the message of reconciliation to the world. This means they represent Jesus’ character, kingdom, and teachings in their daily lives through their actions, words, and a commitment to sha

The imagery and symbolism of marriage is applied to Christ and the body of believers known as the church. It emphasizes God's unconditional commitment and care for believers. The church is comprised of those who have trusted in Jesus as their personal Savior and have received eternal life. Christ, the Bridegroom, has sacrificially and lovingly chosen the church to be His bride (Ephesians 5:25–27). Just as there was an engagement period in biblical times during which the bride

We read, “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). What does this mean? It means that when a person finds their joy and contentment in God, their desires will naturally align with God's will, and He will grant those desires. This isn't a promise to get any selfish wish, but an assurance that as you grow closer to God, your heart's desires become transformed to be more like His. This verse is emphasizing a person’s desire for

In 1985, the band Prince and The Revolution released a song called “Pop Life.” The lyrics of this song is about being discontent with the state of one’s life in this world. Actually, the lyrics bring us face to face with the things we desire in this life as well as with our responses when those desires and expectations go unmet. The lyrics say: “Tell me, what’s the matter with your world? Was it a boy when u wanted a girl? Don’t u know straight hair ain’t got no curl? Life it

The biblical man understands that he’s the foundation of his family. In the Bible, man is presented as the head and spiritual leader of the family, and this is typically understood to be the basis or foundation of the family structure. His foundational role is based on the creation account in Genesis and is outlined in greater detail in the New Testament.  As the foundation, he sets the tone in the relationship. While he’s setting the tone, the woman reflects what he gives. I

Jesus did not teach, “Do not judge.” Jesus taught, “Don’t judge as a hypocrite!” He said,    “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).  Hypocritical judgment is wrong. Jesus’ command not to judge others in Matthew 7:1 is preceded by comparisons to hypocrites (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16) and followed by a warning against hypocrisy (Matthew 7:3–5). When we point out the sin of others

From the heart of Dr. Robert L. Taylor, Th.D., Bible teacher & expositor.  As Christians, we live in a world that increasingly strives to (supposedly) promote the idea of tolerance, but actually becomes intolerant of Christian absolutes as it does so! As Christians, we must understand and embrace that truth is not relative but absolute! The idea that truth is relative and therefore is determined by the individual, has led many people to come to the conclusion that making judg