Few Christian phrases are more familiar than “born again.” It appears on church signs, in sermons, testimonies, books, and everyday conversations about faith. Yet familiarity can sometimes make a biblical phrase easier to repeat than to understand. The expression comes from a conversation between Jesus and a man named Nicodemus in John 3. Nicodemus was … Read more
When you finish reading the Old Testament and turn the page to Matthew, something unusual happens. The world seems to change. The Old Testament closes with Israel living under Persian rule and waiting for the restoration God had promised. Then Matthew opens with the Jewish people living under the authority of Rome. Pharisees and Sadducees … Read more
Few stories in the Bible are as difficult to read as Genesis 22. God tells Abraham to take Isaac, the son he had waited for throughout his old age, and offer him as a burnt offering. Abraham obeys. He travels to Moriah, builds an altar, binds his son, and reaches for the knife. Then, at … Read more
A broken marriage can leave two people wondering whether what has been damaged can ever be repaired. Years of conflict, betrayal, emotional distance, separation, or repeated disappointment can make restoration seem impossible. For Christians, the question is deeper than whether a marriage can survive. It is also about what God wants, what Scripture teaches about … Read more
Most Christians can recite the fruit of the Spirit from memory. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. The list appears in Galatians 5:22–23, and it is quoted in sermons, printed on bookmarks, and taught to children in Sunday school. But familiarity can work against understanding. The fruit of the Spirit is not … Read more
Few subjects divide sincere Christians faster than speaking in tongues. On one side are believers who consider it an essential sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence. On the other are Christians who believe it ceased after the apostolic era. Between them are millions of believers who are simply unsure what to think. The conversation can … Read more
The Bible has a lot to say about spiritual gifts. They are mentioned in several New Testament passages, especially in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12–14, and Ephesians 4. These passages show that the Holy Spirit gives different abilities and forms of service to believers for the benefit of others and the strengthening of the church. … Read more
What does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? For some Christians, the phrase brings to mind a powerful worship service, an intense prayer meeting, or a supernatural experience. Others hear it and immediately think about spiritual gifts, speaking in tongues, or some outward sign that a person has received the Spirit. But … Read more
The Holy Spirit is one of the most discussed and, at times, misunderstood subjects in Christianity. Some Christians think of Him mainly in connection with spiritual gifts, speaking in tongues, or dramatic experiences in church. Others know Him as the One who lives within believers but may struggle to explain who He actually is. The … Read more
The Bible opens with a God who creates everything good. By the third chapter, something has gone wrong. Adam and Eve disobeyed a direct command from God, and the consequences reached far beyond the two of them. Sin entered the human story, and it has not left. From Genesis 3 onward, the Bible is essentially … Read more