Fatherhood was one of the first jobs God gave men. Immediately after creating Adam and Eve, God commanded them to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). One of His primary purposes for marriage was offspring who would fill the earth with God’s praise and glory. However, providing sperm for conception...
Palm Sunday is the day we celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, one week before His resurrection (Matthew 21:1–11). As Jesus entered the holy city, He neared the culmination of a long journey toward Golgotha. He had come to save the lost (Luke 19:10), and now was the...
The most basic definition of prayer is “talking to God.” Prayer is not meditation or passive reflection; it is direct address to God. It is the communication of the human soul with the Lord who created the soul. Prayer is the primary way for the believer in Jesus Christ to...
Esther was a Jewish maiden who was taken into the royal court of King Xerxes and eventually chosen to be queen of Persia. She was integral in delivering the Jews from destruction, an event celebrated in the Feast of Purim. The Bible makes it clear that Esther was placed in...
Galatians 5:22-23 says that the Holy Spirit works in us to be more like Christ (Ephesians 4:14-16), and part of the fruit, or results, of that work is gentleness. Gentleness, also translated “meekness,” does not mean weakness. Rather, it involves humility and thankfulness toward God, and polite, restrained behavior toward...
There is a sense in which God loves everyone in the whole world (John 3:16; 1 John 2:2; Romans 5:8). This love is not conditional—it is rooted in God’s character and based on the fact that He is a God of love (1 John 4:8, 16). God’s love for everyone...
In the closing verses of his first epistle to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul returned to the theme of loving God and loving others as the believer’s ultimate ambition: “Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:14, ESV). Paul had repeatedly underscored this principle to the...
: The Bible has a great deal to say about love. In fact, the Bible says that “love is of God” and “God is love” (1 John 4:7–8); in other words, love is a fundamental characteristic of who God is. Everything God does is impelled and influenced by His love....
The Bible has much to say about obedience. In fact, obedience is an essential part of the Christian faith. Jesus Himself was “obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). For Christians, the act of taking up our cross and following Christ (Matthew 16:24) means obedience. The Bible...
The best definition of the word favor is “demonstrated delight.” The favor of God can be described as “tangible evidence that a person has the approval of the Lord.” When we favor someone, we want to be with him or her. We delight in him. We connect with her in...