Fisherman: a Popular Occupation The sons of Zebedee, along with their father, owned a fishing business that employed other fishermen (Matthew 4:18–22). Thomas, Nathaniel, and Philip may have chosen fisherman as their occupation, for they were among those out in the boats when Jesus appeared on the shore after his resurrection (John 21:2–8). Perhaps, to…
About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives…
Please read about the withered fig tree in Mark 11:12-14, 20-25 and consider: Fig trees in Palestine may live as long as four hundred years. A well-cultivated tree should produce fruit for ten months of the year in those locales. However, because of the difficulties of translation, some have extrapolated a point from this text…
One of the things that makes the Bible so real to us is the relatability of the stories it gives us. On some level, each of us will no doubt have very similar issues as those that we read about in these stories. What got me started down this path was considering the story of…
Being purchased stresses things the Lord wants us to remember. We belong to God. Connected to this is how precious we are to Him. We are dear to Him. Because of sin, a price had to be paid — the price of redemption. The price was commensurate with the value of who we are and…
Four times, the Bible declares, “The just shall live by faith.” Paul famously wrote to the Ephesians, “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). To the Romans, he stated, “we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Romans 5:2). Faith, then, is the door into the halls…
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel (Ezra 7:10). I was recently asked to present some thoughts before a congregation regarding my interaction with elders and elderships over the years. Toward the close of my lesson, a…