If you’ve ever tried to learn another language then you know, and maybe dread, the tall stack of vocabulary cards. Even if you only know one language, there were times you learned new words and their meanings: how to spell them, how to pronounce them, how to define them, how…

Paul begins his first letter to the Thessalonians by giving thanks to God for their “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in [the] Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:3). These three characteristics gave evidence to the “power” of the Holy Spirit witnessed by Paul in the…

Church growth can be difficult. Where do we put all these people? How can they connect with others? How can we ensure they’re being cared for and shepherded? Where did they come from? If this growth doesn’t bring with it a growth in maturity, then the difficulty is that much…

“And the ark of God was taken” (1 Sam 4:11, 17, 19, 21). Although this was just part of what was shared with Eli after the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines, it was the most devastating news. Let’s learn more about the account of the capture and return of…

If you’re as book obsessed as us, then you know the truth of the preacher’s statement at the end of Ecclesiastes. “Of making many books there is no end” (Eccl. 12:12).There’s always another book and you simply can’t read all of them. Our desire, though, is to make as many…

When the church in Philippi heard of Paul’s imprisonment, they undoubtedly assumed this would hinder the work God was doing through him. Having partnered with him in his ministry (cf. Phil. 4:14–18), they must have worried the fruit of his ministry was ending. But in a shocking twist, God providentially…