The Best-Selling Least-Read Book of All Time - 2 Timothy 3:16-17

A topical study in the book of 2 Timothy - Wed, December 30, 2009. The Bible is the best-selling least-read book of all time. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings’ 150 million copies pales in comparison to the Bible’s 2.5 billion. The problem is, simply owning a Bible doesn’t help – there must be action. That’s the whole reason God wrote the Bible and a large reason why many people avoid it. So what are you doing with God’s Word? It is far more useful than a door stop, a coaster, or a paperweight, so treat it like what it is: God’s actual words!

A Simple Christmas - Luke 2:11

A topical study in the book of Luke - Thur, December 24, 2009.

Every Day Is A Party - Lamentations 3:22-24

A topical study in the book of Lamentations - Sat, December 26, 2009. With Christmas behind us and the new year ahead, we find ourselves right in the middle of celebrations. While the world has to wait around till the next holiday to have a reason to celebrate, every day is a party for those who follow Christ! Every breath serves as a reminder of God’s mercy that is new and fresh. Every day is a chance to turn things around and live for what really matters. We don’t have to wait till January 1st for a fresh start – on God’s calendar, every day is January 1st!

Party. My Manger. Be There. - Luke 2:1-20

A topical study in the book of Luke - Sat, December 19, 2009. When a baby is born, we often wonder what the future holds for that child. From the time Jesus’ birth was announced to Mary, she knew exactly what the future held: death. Jesus was born to die. Unfortunately, the birth of the Savior isn’t in the forefront of most people’s minds, because if there’s a Savior, it implies that there’s something we need to be saved from, and nobody wants to talk about that. Your response to the Savior’s birth reveals a lot about your future – He’s your only access to heaven.

Internal Affairs - Acts 6:1-7

From the series "To the End of the Earth" Acts 6:1-7 - Wed, December, 16 2009. You may have heard someone in a moment of frustration exclaim, “I can’t win for losing!” In other words, things would be going great if things weren’t going so badly! Although from the beginning the church has faced internal and external opposition of all kinds, that phrase doesn’t work for the church. In fact, to be accurate, you’d have to reverse it: “The church can’t lose for winning.” Even when problems arise, if Christians will remain faithful, there’s not a chance of losing! The win is guaranteed!

You Are Someone's Enemy - Philippians 3:1-6

From the series "To Live is Christ" - Philippians 3:1-6 Sat, December 12, 2009. Whether you’re a Christian or not, you are someone’s enemy. If you think you can cruise into heaven because you have lived a "good" life and you do some pretty "good" things, you’re an enemy of Jesus Christ. Ouch. The good news is, there’s a better way. If, instead of trusting yourself, you trust Christ’s good works, you’re an enemy of the flesh. That’s the only way to get to heaven – not your “good” works, but His great work. Are you sure you’re headed to heaven? Jesus is the only way.

Cosmic Tug-O-War - Acts 5:12-42

From the series "To the End of the Earth" Acts 5:12-42 - Wed, December, 9 2009. Whenever God uses someone for something great, Satan gets a little jealous. So what does he do? Satan often attacks after God works. He tries to destroy what God has begun. What we need to remember, though, as we see the battle being waged back and forth is that ultimately, God will win. In fact, it’s almost more of a game to Him – He allows a few temporary victories for Satan. However, the permanent victory belongs to God, and it is He who empowers us to boldly face the enemy’s daily attacks!

Do As I Say AND As I Do - Philippians 2:19-30

From the series "To Live is Christ" - Philippians 2:19-30 Sat, December 5, 2009. We have too many examples of how not to live: MTV, the news, celebrities, high divorce rates, etc. We all need good role models to look up to that will model what serving the Lord looks like. Three of those people for the early church were Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus. Although they’re long gone now, their selfless lives still stand as examples to us today. They realized that serving God meant serving others. If you want to serve God, it starts by forgetting yourself and serving others.

When God Cleans House - Acts 4:32-5:11

From the series "To the End of the Earth" Acts 4:32-5:11 - Wed, December, 2 2009. Cleaning may not be what you do for fun, but it’s needed. You often have to part with things that you’ve been holding onto for a while, but in the long run, it’s good to clean out the junk and reorganize. It’s the same with the church. God likes things neat and in order. When His people get out of line and cause problems within the church, God will take drastic measures to clean things up. What drastic measures do you need to take in your life so that God doesn’t have to do it for you?