Pastor Mark Wells

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12 (LSB) Forgiveness is one of the hardest commands Jesus ever gave. Many believers think forgiveness means pretending the offense never happened, forgetting the pain, or immediately restoring the relationship. But that is not what Scripture teaches. When Jesus spoke of forgiveness, the Greek word often used is aphiēmi (ἀφίημι), which means to send away, release, let go, or cancel a debt. It was used in legal and...

And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19 When Jesus called His first disciples, He did not simply invite them to attend His sermons or admire His miracles. He issued a life-changing command: "Follow Me." The Greek verb translated "follow" meant far more than merely walking behind someone. In the first-century Jewish world, a disciple followed a rabbi to learn from him, emulate his life, embrace his teachings, and become like him. A disciple was not...

The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom... Proverbs 9:10 Few men have ever possessed the wisdom of Solomon. When God invited him to ask for anything, Solomon requested wisdom to govern God's people. The Lord was pleased with his request and granted him wisdom beyond any other king, along with riches and honor (1 Kings 3:5–14; 4:29–34). Yet one of the wisest men who ever lived became an example of the danger of knowing God's truth without obeying it. Long before Israel had a king, God...