The laying on of hands in connection with baptism is a practice found in the New Testament that was used to impart the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit to believers in the early church. It is important to distinguish this from water baptism [...]
When we look closely at the New Testament, we find no indication that Christians are ever instructed to build physical altars. This is a major shift from Old Testament worship, where altars were central to sacrifice and ritual. In the New Testament, that entire [...]
It’s understandable to feel that babies seem innocent, because they have never committed a personal or deliberate sin. They have no awareness of right or wrong, and they certainly do not choose to disobey God. In terms of conduct, infants are completely innocent. The [...]
The Bible describes the holy spirit as God’s invisible power and influence, a special spiritual sense that God gives to faithful Christians to help them make good decisions, understand the Bible and live in ways that please Him. Jesus called the holy spirit a “helper,” [...]
The general pattern of prayer in Scripture is for believers to address their petitions to the Heavenly Father, approaching Him through the merit and authority of Jesus Christ. Jesus himself directed his followers to pray in this way, identifying the Father as the ultimate [...]
The phrase “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34, KJV) comes at the end of Jesus’ teaching on worry in the Sermon on the Mount. In simple terms, Jesus is saying that each day has enough trouble of its own, so [...]
Vows in the Bible are portrayed as solemn, weighty commitments made directly to God. Unlike ordinary promises between people, a vow invokes God as witness and carries spiritual gravity. Scripture defines a vow as a voluntary “self-committal to God,” meaning an individual chooses to [...]
Repentance is far more than feeling sorry or recognizing that something was wrong. In Scripture, repentance is a fundamental change of direction and thinking. The New Testament highlights this difference by using two distinct Greek words: metamellomai, which means regret or an emotional change, [...]
Loving God strongly is not an instant emotion or a gift that arrives fully formed. It is the primary work of the “new creature” (2 Corinthians 5:17) a progressive development cultivated in the “school of Christ.” Strong love for God grows through knowledge, obedience, [...]
The exact phrase “God gave humans free will” does not appear word?for?word in most Bible translations, but the entire biblical narrative assumes and requires it. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture shows that God created humanity with the ability to make real choices—what we often [...]
The practice of manifesting may be taught in some schools of thought. However, manifesting should not be confused with prayer. Prayer is taught in the Bible and is an essential part of life for every follower of God. The practice of manifesting is not [...]
Understanding the First Commandment begins with understanding what God actually said. When God declared, “You shall have no other gods before Me,” the key phrase “before Me” (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance #5921 plus 6440) comes from the Hebrew expression that literally means "in front of [...]
When ministering to someone who seems to be under the influence of evil spirits, the Bible lays out a clear and balanced path. It begins with discerning what is actually happening, continues with compassionate presence, relies on God’s power rather than human ritual, and [...]
Abraham was Lot’s uncle. Lot was the son of Abraham’s brother, Haran. Following the death of Haran in Ur, Abraham took Lot with him when he obeyed God’s call to leave his father’s house and journey toward the land of Canaan.Studying these two men [...]
Finding God’s guidance isn’t about hearing a mystical voice or waiting for a sudden sign. It’s a spiritual journey—a process that unfolds as your heart, mind and character come into harmony with His will. Guidance begins with a willing heart, grows through the study [...]
When we think about whether our dreams align with God’s will, it helps to remember that the Bible doesn’t ask us to abandon our talents or ambitions — it asks us to reorient the “why” behind them. The Bible gives us a set of [...]
Matthew 4:18–20 marks the moment Jesus begins gathering the small group of men who would become his closest disciples. As he walks along the Sea of Galilee, he calls Simon Peter and Andrew, inviting them into a relationship that will reshape their lives. Although [...]
When we find ourselves irritated or “stumbled” by the behavior of others in Christian fellowship—whether it’s someone talking during a service, dressing in a way we find distracting, or simply acting in a manner we consider careless—it’s important to remember that the first and [...]
While the terms praise and worship are often used interchangeably, Scripture and careful study show that they are related but not the same. Worship is the foundation—a lifelong posture of humility, submission and loyalty to God—while praise is the expression that flows out of [...]
Matthew 23:9 that brings us right into the heart of how we apply Jesus’ "tough" words to our modern religious landscape.We all refer to our human fathers as “father,” “dad,” etc., but in this case, Jesus was referring to our heavenly Father, Jehovah. In [...]
