Trained for Life (Hebrews 12:4–11)
“Trials are not evidence of God’s displeasure, but on the contrary tokens of His love.”1 That is an important message for us to hear. The original recipients of this letter needed to hear this, and so...
View ArticleRun, Christian, Run! (Hebrews 12:12–17)
Recently, I left the house early in the morning for a long run, and my safety-conscious and caring wife asked me what time I would be home. I told her that I should be back at around 6:30 AM, and...
View ArticleDear God, It’s Thursday (Matthew 26:26–30)
This year at BBC, we plan to do something we have never done before: to begin our Easter weekend at its true beginning, which is Thursday evening. The Gospels, as has been well noted, primarily focus...
View ArticleO, My God, It’s Friday (Mark 15:30)
The Lord Jesus Christ was tempted His entire earthly sojourn. From the cradle to the cross, Jesus of Nazareth was tempted to sin. If He ever succumbed to temptation, we would not have a Saviour. The...
View ArticleThank God, It’s Sunday (Matthew 28:1–20)
Well-known author and Bible teacher, Warren Wiersbe, once commented that one reason he goes to church on Sunday is because he wants to testify to others that Jesus Christ lives. In point of fact, this...
View ArticleA Glorious Privilege (Hebrews 12:18–24)
Mountains in Scripture serve a significant role. Momentous events occur on mountains. It is supposed that Eden must have been elevated, since it was the source of four rivers. Noah’s ark rested on a...
View ArticleA Great Responsibility (Hebrews 12:25–29)
I recently spent the afternoon walking around various historic sites in Washington, DC. As I approached the Washington Monument I took in the beautiful panorama of the city and was struck by the view...
View ArticlePractically Speaking (Hebrews 13:1–3)
If it’s true that the only Jesus people see is the one that we present by our lives then we had better be sure that we practice what we preach. Practically speaking, we had better be sure that we are...
View ArticleMarriage Matters (Hebrews 13:4)
One of the glaring failures, in my opinion, of the evangelical church in our day is a failure to recognise that new covenant living, in the sense of ethics, is not much different than old covenant...
View ArticleEnough is Enough (Hebrews 13:5–6)
The writer has spent twelve chapters highlighting that the new covenant is so much better than the old covenant. But with the privileges of such a great covenant come great ethical responsibilities....
View ArticleA Legacy of Faith (Hebrews 13:7–8)
“If the church is always one generation away from extinction, historical amnesia threatens its demise as much as spiritual complacency. A call to renewed commitment must necessarily be a summons to...
View ArticleThe Cost of Living (Hebrews 13:9–14)
Our text for this study (13:9–14) is probably the most difficult in this epistle to understand and therefore to explain. There are nearly as many opinions as there are commentaries! Nevertheless, we...
View ArticleNew Covenant Sacrifices (Hebrews 13:15–16)
In a recent blog post Albert Mohler of the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, USA addressed the recent United States Supreme Court decision to legalise homosexual marriage. The title of his...
View ArticleYielded and Yielding (Hebrews 13:17)
Every true Christian wants to grow and to yield a harvest of spiritual fruit for the glory of God and the good of others—not to mention the benefit this accrues for us personally. The Christian also...
View ArticlePlease, Pray (Hebrews 13:18–19)
A funny thing happened on a recent Sunday morning. Not only did we lose power at the church during the service, but our church vehicle ran out of power on the way to take people home after the service....
View ArticleA Prayer and a Promise (Hebrews 13:20–21)
Sometimes being confronted with exhortation upon exhortation can become less than exhilarating; in fact, it can become discouraging. For example, we hear over and over the challenges to persevere in...
View ArticleThe Final Word (Hebrews 13:22–25)
A couple of weeks ago the elders met together in my study to discuss some matters and my computer screen was visible to a couple of them. I had been working on a sermon and was on my last point. I had...
View ArticleFar and Near, Deep and Wide (Acts 19:1–41)
I was recently invited to be a speaker at a conference in another African country, which turned out to be a disappointing experience, though I trust it will ultimately prove to be a constructive one....
View ArticleGod’s New Community (Ephesians 1:1–3)
In his preface to Graham Beynon’s God’s New Community, Dave Burke writes, Underneath its glossy and confident surface, our society is fragmenting. The problem is growing; some people are becoming more...
View ArticleSalvation Appointed; Bless God for Election! (Ephesians 1:4–6)
God’s new thing, His community of faith, is something we should never take for granted. Membership is a privilege granted completely by the grace of God. Paul could not contain His praise to God for...
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