Father’s Day is tomorrow so it seems appropriate to preach about a loving but firm father who allowed his rebellious son to leave but was ready and waiting to forgive once the rebellious son came to his senses and returned home. The Parable of the Prodigal Son, found in Luke 15:11-32 is the third of…

Psalm 34:14 and 1 Peter 3:11 both say the exact same thing: seek peace and pursue it. As children of God we must seek peace and pursue it. In last week’s lesson we looked at 5 tactics we can deploy to pursue peace: deal with conflict biblically, take the initiative, practice restraint, prepare for a…

In Mark 12:28 Jesus was approached by one of the teachers of the law who asked Him the following question: “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Mark 12:29-31 records Jesus’ answer: “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the…

Isaiah 49 begins the second section of the last part of Isaiah’s book. In the previous section, chapters 40-48, there was the court scene with the trial between the Lord and the pagan idols. Cyrus, who would act as the deliverer for Israel from captivity and the fall of Babylon, was in the forefront. Isaiah…

The Summer season is nearly upon us but we have already kicked off our summer schedule of Bible Classes and sermon topics. Our Sunday morning adult Bible Study continues in the Book of Isaiah, this week as we begin chapter 48. Gary Truex leads this study. Our Sunday morning teen class, led by Mark Horton…

Almost all of us live two lives: what other people see on the outside and what is really going on inside. In school we learn what outward signs of attention will please the teacher. At a job we learn to “put up a good front” whenever the boss happens to stroll by. As if putting…

Although it weighs in at only three chapters and punches well above its weight, Nahum ranks as one of the least preached books of the Bible. As a citizen of the southern kingdom of Judah, the prophet Nahum felt the force of the Assyrian Empire. But God had Nahum deliver a message concerning the greatest…

Jonah 3:10 When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened. Say the name “Jonah,” and most people think of a storm at sea and a prophet in the belly of a whale. With such an exciting…

Summary of Isaiah 45:1-13: Cyrus’s many victories, and the power and wealth he gained through them, were all planned by God. God was preparing the way so that Cyrus could conquer Babylon and release the Jews. Throughout these events, Cyrus did not know God and was unaware that God was using him to carry out…

The book of Obadiah has the twin distinctions of being both the shortest book in the Old Testament and the only one that substantially duplicates part of another book. At 21 verses, it is only 1.7 percent as long as Jeremiah, the longest prophetic work, and it extensively parallels Jeremiah 49:7-22. Why is Obadiah so…