Sep 30, 2018
As Paul hadn’t physically been to Ephesus in years, the church had grown and there were many people he didn’t know. Yet even during his travels and incarceration for the Gospel, he had heard second-hand about the reputation of the church. The Ephesians were known as genuine believers with a culture of love toward...
Sep 23, 2018
Throughout history, an inheritance from parents would often be the most significant and gracious gift a person could receive. Gaining an inheritance meant you were a special part of the family, and depending on value, could set a person up for life. An inheritance was often the highest value of a parent from...
Sep 16, 2018
Previously in his life, Paul had been a violent man and a murderer who thought he was doing God’s will by persecuting Christians (Acts 22:4; 1 Tim. 1:13). What he thought was obedience that was making him right with God was actually offending God and compiling sin against himself. Self-appointed action for God without...
Sep 9, 2018
Paul, whose Jewish birth-name was Saul, was born to devout Jewish parents c. 5 AD in the Roman ‘free city’ of Tarsus—making him a Roman citizen (Acts 22:3, 28). He spoke multiple languages, had a genius-level IQ, was well educated, and had a passion to serve God through the religion of Judaism (Phil. 3:5, 6)....
Sep 2, 2018
Throughout history, Shechem had been a pagan worship center in Canaan where God met Abraham hundreds of years before (Gen. 12:7). Joshua called the whole nation there for a ‘family meeting’ as this was the place they had gathered years earlier after the defeat of Ai (Josh. 8:33; 24:1). Special times of commitment call...