It is no accident that the question of identity is a central battleground in our culture. We have become a people who believe our identity is as malleable as our moods, where the only rules are what we feel will bring us happiness. The trouble with that is, of course,...
Easter is a uniquely satisfying holiday. It comes with a sense of finality and accomplishment. Thanksgiving, the 4th of July, and even Christmas are days that mark beginnings. They are memorials to events that were laden with expectation. Easter, on the other hand, celebrates triumph. It marks completion. What the...
“It’s been quite a week!” Some people say that after a particularly eventful week. They may have traveled, been ill, experienced some misfortune, or just had a series of exhausting events. Everyone has them; when we do, we can’t wait for next week. So, consider the week that Jesus had...
“Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.” In 1 Timothy 5:1-2, we see Timothy addressing his fellow believers with the need to...
On Sunday we looked at Paul’s timeless encouragement to a young pastor, Timothy, to ignore criticisms of his youthfulness and instead demonstrate maturity in character. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe....
One of the fun things to watch as a new baby develops is the progression in their diet. We have two grandchildren who are currently in that stage. Watching them eat squash, bananas, or sour fruit for the very first time is fascinating and hilarious. The look on their faces...
Marriage has always been under attack. We may think that this is something new, only since the advent of no-fault divorce and same-sex marriage. But marriage has always been attacked and twisted by our enemy. One of the heresies the Apostle Paul addressed in the book of 1 Timothy was...
About 300 years after the life of Christ, a thriving church in the city of Laodicea was remodeling. Every aspect of the church architecture was carefully considered, from the orientation of the building, to the number of pillars, to the designs on the walls and alcoves. Symbols representing the disciples...
In recent weeks, VBC has been studying the offices of Elder and Deacon in 1 Timothy. Chapter 3 gives us a breakdown of the qualifications for those who are qualified to serve as elders and deacons. We have taken this opportunity to outline the New Testament teaching on eldership and...
What is the most important thing you can do for your spiritual leaders? One might think showing support, encouraging, or volunteering to serve is most important. But the most important thing you can do for your church leaders is to pray for them. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 urges Christians to pray...
My favorite Christmas hymn is “Angels From the Realms of Glory.” I love the tune; I love the words. Each stanza progressively tells the story of redemption. It is rich in biblical allusions, from creation to the birth of Christ to the return of Christ. On December 24, 1816, James...
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens/bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens/brown paper packages tied up with string/these are a few of my favorite things … ’Tis the season for Christmas music, and for some reason, this classic from The Sound of Music has been folded into the rotation....
In this Advent season, we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior and the second advent—the return of Christ. We as Christians also strive to live godly lives, and part of living a godly life is putting our absolute trust in Him in all His ways. Can we...
It was wonderful to have a Sunday praising God for who He is and what He has done in our lives and giving thanks to Him for all the blessings He has given us. One hymn we sang this last week was based on an old Swedish poem written by...
When I imagine the first Thanksgiving in the Plymouth Colony, I picture long benches laden with food. Dozens of faces, both European and Wampanoag, contentedly tucking in for a meal after such a difficult first year learning how to survive off the land and through the winter. An interesting fact...
I’m enjoying – truly enjoying – the adventure of being a dad to a teenage daughter (soon to be two teenage daughters). It is a great privilege to love, lead, and team up with my daughters through this revelatory season of life. We’ve begun (I know, I know, I’m still...
Have you run a virus scan lately? You might answer, "Sure, my computer was running sluggish, so I ran a scan and found malware from an email attachment. The scan took care of it, and I'm up and running again." But I'm not talking about your computer; I'm talking about...
First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) It is true that we...
Few things are more American than the spirit of plucky pragmatism. It is in our genes, it would seem, to imagine every problem is solvable with a little determination and some out-of-the-box thinking. We’ve explored the bottom of the oceans, walked on the moon, seen the rise of the world’s...
A dog is not a person. We have a puppy called Blaze, so I know this. Blaze is a dog. However, he is a bit like a teenager at this point in his training. The problem is that, unlike a person, he does not have a moral conscience. So I...