And take the helmet of salvation , Ephesians 6:17a The fifth piece of God’s armor is represented by the Roman soldier’s helmet, without which he would never enter battle. Some of the helmets were made of thick leather covered with metal plates, and others were of heavy molded or beaten metal. They usually had cheek pieces to protect the face. The purpose of the helmet, of course, was to protect the head from injury, particularly from the dangerous broadsword commonly used in

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus . Philippians 3:13-14 Well today we is the first day of the New Year. The New Year means different things to different people. For some it is an exciting time as they look forward to what the New Year will bring. For others it may be a time to reflect

Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will , Ephesians 1:4-5 I was having a discussion with Pastor Jamie the other day about the conversion of Charles Spurgeon. It reminded me that it is not by flowery words or convincing arguments that we come to Christ. It is by God’s grace and His sovereignty that we

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Mathew 6:33 Do you worry? Are you content with your life or are you always seeking things to make you happy? Jesus said, “ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and you heavenly Father knows that you need them all .”  Kenneth S. Wuest wrote, “We commit sin when

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ . 1 Corinthians 11:1  Who are your heroes? Who do you look up to? Who are the people that influence your life? All of us have people that we admire and would love to meet. As a boy and a young man my idols were sports figures and movie stars. Larry Csonka, Bob Griese, Mercury Morris, and Nick  Buoniconti  were my sports heroes. The characters that Clint Eastwood played were the type of men I wanted to become. Jimmy Page, Mark Farmer, and

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ . Philippians 3:8  In Philippians 3:4–7 Paul tells us he had acquired all the credentials that anyone could imagine they would need to be a righteous person. He was a Jew, and the Jews had always had a special place in God’s dealings with the human race. He had real ad

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus . Philippians 3:13-14 Well today we is the first day of the New Year. The New Year means different things to different people. For some it is an exciting time as they look forward to what the New Year will bring. For others it may be a time to refl

And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise .”  Luke 23:43   So what will we do when we get to heaven? I have heard some really strange ideas about what will go on in heaven. Following are some of the things I have actually heard people say at funerals about what we will be doing in heaven: drinking beer with our friends, playing golf, fishing, gardening in our flower beds, playing with our pets, playing bridge, playing baseball, become ang

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them