Originally written December 5, 2018 Paul had a manner (Acts 17:2). Simply stated, Paul had an evangelistic habit that he typically performed when he went into a new town. As Paul traveled, his general plan was to first visit the synagogues and preach to the Jews from the Old Testament. He then would use this…
Tag: discipleship
Thoughts on Conversion, by Mike Ivey
By Mike Ivey In most instances, a Bible student’s understanding of conversion falls into one of two categories. Some believe conversion relates exclusively to the new birth; that in all cases conversion is an immediate and exclusive effect of regeneration. Others believe it has a number of facets or principles including conversion in the new…
Would You Still Go To Church, If?
In the gospel of John, our Savior explicitly names two problematic reasons why people followed him and solicits a third reason from his closest disciples (John 6:26,68). The first reason Jesus mentions is that people followed him because of his miracles (John 6:26). This can be broken into two subcategories. Some people followed him to…
Our Present Pilgrimage
“And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” – Gen. 47:9 Jacob, as…
Walk by Faith, Not by Sight
“(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)” – 2 Cor. 5:7 Walking according to the will of God here in this life can be a difficult task for the children of God. God’s children are appropriately consistently compared to sheep in the scripture. Sheep are not very intelligent animals (when you are feeling pretty smart…
Let the Word Dwell in You Richly
“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” – Colossians 3:16 As we close out one year and look forward toward the beginning of a new year, we reflect on God’s…
Am I A Pharisee? 12 Signs to Watch Out For
In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees were an prominent group of religious Jews often regarded as being holy and spiritual. While their founding (150s BC) ideal was noble – separation from sinfulness and adherence to God’s law – by the 1st Century AD they had become a harsh group of self-righteous elitists, often passing judgment on…
Are You Converted?
Ask yourself this question: Do I stand in need of conversion? Pointed question? Terrifying thought? It ought to cause us all to engage in a period of self reflection. Caveat To be clear, I refer to conversion and not regeneration. The new birth (regeneration, quickening) is a GOD ONLY action. It is literally life from death….
Back to the Basics
By Joshua Winslett I greatly enjoy college football. In general, the fall is my favorite season; family, football, great weather, holidays, lots of extra church meetings, etc. At the end of every football season I look back and assess the highs and lows. The wins and losses. There are teams with high velocity offenses. There…