Posts by contact@churchthemes.com
A “Thank You” to Fathers
In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, the apostle Paul writes, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” By God’s design, Christians are to be people of gratitude in every situation. With Father’s Day coming up this Sunday, I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to godly fathers and grandfathers. While we should communicate our thankfulness throughout the entire year and not just on one particular day, Father’s Day provides a wonderful…
Love Your Enemies
When we come together on Sunday morning, if the Lord wills, we will discuss what Jesus says in Matthew 5:43–47 about loving our enemies. Thinking about that command, I would like to give two examples in this article. One example is disobedient to this command; the other is obedient to it. By looking at these examples, I pray that we will all be encouraged to love our enemies, as difficult as that might be. In the book bearing his name,…
Why Revenge?
In a relatively short passage, Judges 15:1-17, we see Samson avenge himself three different times. Samson was not acting as a deliverer for God’s people, who had been oppressed by the Philistines for more than forty years (Judges 13:1), even though God was using him in that way (Judges 14:4). Instead, he was acting out of his own selfish and vengeful desires. Every single time, death and destruction were the result. Before we cast stones at Samson, however, we need…
For They Dealt Honestly
In 2 Kings 12:4–15, Jehoash was king over Judah. He instructed the priests to use the money brought into the house of the Lord to repair the temple in Jerusalem. Years passed. Money had been collected, yet the work still wasn’t getting done. The problem wasn’t a lack of resources; it was a lack of follow-through. So Jehoash stepped in and changed the system. A chest was set up by Jehoiada the priest. The money was collected openly, and faithful…
RESIST THE DEVIL
Anna Jean loves to sing. It’s not uncommon for her to jump from Disney songs to church hymns to nursery rhymes in a matter of moments. Last week, she was singing “Roll the Gospel Chariot” and came to the verse about the devil. The verse is supposed to go, “If the devil’s in the way, we will run right over him.” But she got a little mixed up and blended it with another verse: “If a brother’s in the way,…
God’s Desire for Marriage
At daycare one day, a little girl heard the story of Snow White for the first time. She was so full of excitement that she could hardly contain herself. When her mom picked her up, the first thing she did was retell the entire fairy tale. After describing how Prince Charming arrived on his beautiful white horse and kissed Snow White back to life, she asked her mom, “Do you know how the story ended?” “Yes,” her mom said, “Didn’t…