One of the scariest moments of my life happened in northern Wisconsin. Some friends and I took a pontoon boat across Tomahawk Lake and were caught in a vicious thunderstorm. The skies darkened, the wind picked up, the waves started rocking the boat, and the rain came down in sheets.…

The Bible is unique in that it comes complete with its own songbook—the Psalms. Not only are the Psalms songs that we can sing to God, but they also instruct us on what our worship should consist of and why we should do it in the first place. What we…

We are all probably familiar with the stereotypical “doom and gloom” or “hellfire and brimstone” preachers. They often deliver a very one-sided view of God’s judgment, one that emphasizes God’s wrath, anger, and holiness and not his grace, mercy, and salvation. When properly understood though, God’s judgment and salvation go…

A doxology is, literally, a glory-word, a word or saying attributing glory to someone or something. While there’s nothing wrong with planning and preparing for a doxology, they are usually spontaneous and impulsive. Thus, a doxology is a spontaneous attributing of glory to God for something glorious He’s done. Take,…

Years ago, I heard a pithy little saying that stuck with me. It was attributed to John Bunyan, though he may never have said it. The saying goes like this, “Run, John, run, the law commands, but gives you neither feet nor hands. Better news the gospel brings: it bids…

Children often have the best questions and one that mine frequently asked was about God’s existence and activity prior to creation. If God existed before creation, then where was He? What was He doing? How long was He doing it? They often imagined Him enveloped in a black nothingness as…

We don’t normally think of study as something fun. But here at Olive Tree we’re committed to providing you with an awesome experience of studying the Bible. With the best resources available and a user-friendly customizable app, Bible study is fun (along with edifying, transformative, encouraging, etc.). Here’s a look…

I’m not sure what was going through the minds of the twelve disciples when Jesus called and commissioned them in Mark 6:7–13. But he did give them authority to act in His name. They called the people to repentance, cast out the uncleans spirits, and healed many who were sick.…

Old Testament Law Still Apply

It’s a question we all ask ourselves at some point: does the Old Testament law still apply? Do Christians follow the Old Testament? Read the passage below along with the notes taken from the Chronological Life Application Study Bible to help you explore these questions. What is the Old Testament…