Our culture is becoming increasingly hostile to the God and the church of Jesus Christ. Biblical truths are attacked in government and media. Our world is showing its ‘true colors’: It’s bad, but there’s good news, too. As salt and light, Christians point to a better way, and a better day!

When evil takes root in society, Christians face persecution. To avoid this, some will conform. Jesus warns against this: We must be willing to be persecuted for doing what is right. At the same time, we must not return evil for evil, but rather do good and show mercy.

God is sovereign over governments, but they are often evil. When they are, God’s people demonstrate allegiance to Him by refusing to obey, knowing full well that they may face temporal consequences.

Christians live in this world as ambassadors for Christ, but are citizens of the world to come. How are we then to treat government? God deals with nations and leaders, and calls us to submit to them for His sake.

Augustine wrote his famous City of God in 413 A.D. In it, he describes two cities, the city of the world and the city of God, and calls on society to choose which city it will be a part of. Our challenge as believers is to live in both ‘cities’ – to be in the world, but not of the world.

God is sovereign over all human governments; nothing can thwart His eternal purpose. Christians can be assured that though the wicked may prosper, and evil rulers may mock God’s truth with their evil schemes, God’s plans are not impeded, and His ultimate victory is sure.

In spiritual battles which lie ahead, Christians will confront the vacuum of truth in our relativistic world. Jesus said, You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (John 8:32). The challenge before believers will be severe: Do I know the truth?

We are living in changing times. Unbeknownst to most people, ‘social engineers’ without faith in God or His Word want to shape our future. What does the future bode for Christians? We who are used to freedom of worship must prepare ourselves to stand strong when trials come.

Her name isn’t actually in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, but she is there – ‘she who was the wife of Uriah.’ Bathsheba was involved in the sin that stained the rule of Israel’s greatest king, David, resulting in death. But repentance and grace gave forgiveness, and new life.

Tamar and Rahab, the first two women in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, both present a moral challenge to Christians. But the third, Ruth, seems a saint by comparison! Her circumstances, however, were far from great. Yet her life exhibits God’s love and grace.

Tamar, the first woman listed in the genealogy of Jesus, playing the role of a prostitute one time.  Rahab, the second woman listed, ran a brothel! Have we gone from bad to worse? No. God’s just showing us what’s possible when a life is touched by grace.

This Christmas we’re going back, way back,  to four Old Testament women in Jesus’ family tree. Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus records them for us – four unlikely women, who exhibit through their lives God’s redemptive purpose in sending Jesus to this world.

NBBC shares their thanks and praises! 

Paul’s at the end of his letter to the Thessalonian Christians, but he has two final things to say. One is a warning, the other a wish. But together they reflect Paul’s overriding goal for them: Walk worthy!

Jesus is coming, but we don’t know when. An issue that came up in Thessalonica and still matters today, was ‘What do we do while we wait?’  Some decided to shift their lives into neutral and do nothing. Bad Idea. This is our time… time to work.

The end is near, but difficult days lie ahead. Christians are suffering, and need encouragement. Paul requests prayer for the apostles, then expresses prayerful confidence that God will protect them in trying days. There is much here for us as we face these difficult last days.

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, Paul writes about a time of great evil and terrible judgment that is coming on the earth. All unbelievers who are alive will go through it. How should Christians respond to this truth? We learn this morning that we should stand firm, and take comfort.

Are we living in the last days? The COVID pandemic, advances in technology, threats of war and famine, and a rise in lawlessness all remind us of biblical prophecies. But to keep us from getting ahead of ourselves, Paul ‘fills in the blanks’ on what happens first.

We hear a lot about ‘justice’ today, but the harder we try to achieve it, the more we fail! In a world shrouded in sin, Christians look for Jesus’ return. When He comes, His righteous judgment will render rewards and retribution to every person.

One of the joys of parenthood is pride when our kids achieve great success. Paul’s ‘kids’ – believers in Christ in Thessalonica, were a source of pride to him: They stood strong despite persecution. And as a result, they would be ‘counted worthy of the kingdom of God.’

Here We Stand series, part 4, Our ‘Blessed Hope’: Jesus is Coming

Here We Stand series, part 3, Eternal Life is a Gift

Here We Stand series, part 2

Here We Stand series, part 1, The Bible is God’s Word

Paul loved the believers in Thessalonica; he couldn’t return to visit them, so he wrote this letter. He has exhorted and encouraged them; now he ‘farewells’ them with a prayer, a few final thoughts, ending with a reminder for them to never lose sight of God’s grace.

Church leaders are feeling pressure today: Covid-19 affects all of us, and Satan will use it to divide Christians. Elders ‘shepherd the flock of God,’ but as one pastor put it, sheep bite!  How can we keep peace in an angry world? This advice is especially needed in these times.

As he concludes his letter to the church in Thessalonica, Paul gives them practical advice. It’s as good now as it was then. These gems of truth go to the very heart of our spiritual foundation and actions. The closer you look, the more you’ll see.

The Day of the Lord is prophesied in the Old Testament – a time of God’s wrath, and blessing. When does this period of time begin, and how long does it last? How should it affect our lives today?

The Rapture isn’t the Second Coming, but what is it? Is it before the Great Tribulation? What happens when Christians die? What rises at the Rapture? Where do we go after the Rapture? Why is the Rapture a comfort for Christians? Questions…and comfort!

What’s the next event in Bible prophecy? Many theologians today roll end-time prophecies into one big event – the end of the world and Jesus’ second coming. But 1 Thess. 4:13-18 reveals a separate event – not the ‘Second Coming’ – that Christians look forward to.

Bible Text: Easter Sunday | Speaker: Phil Congdon

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times:  Those words from Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities fit our day. Stress brings out the best and the worst in humanity. Paul’s practical advice to Thessalonian Christians is amazingly timely in our COVID-19 world.

Modern sexual mores are viewed as enlightened and new, but they aren’t. First-century pagan culture was rife with sexual perversion. Like those early Christians, we must realize that sexual purity is not man’s idea, but God’s… and it is a key to our spiritual growth.

Paul’s epistles are so upbeat and optimistic, we forget that he faced constant opposition and discouragement in ministry. The Christians in Thessalonica suffered persecution, too, so Paul shared secrets of joy in the midst of trials. These are valuable lessons for us today.

Paul is called the greatest evangelist in church history, and it’s hard to argue the point: 2000 years of the Gentile Church is traced to his ministry! But he knew persecution and disappointment, too. What enabled him to be so effective? He tells us in 1 Thessalonians 2.

The new church at Thessalonica, like every church, had problems. But it also had spiritual qualities for which Paul thanked God. In the first chapter of this letter, the apostle cites five things which stand out in the church – qualities to which we should all aspire!

It’s the early 50s A.D. Jesus’ resurrection occurred less than twenty years earlier, but already churches dot the ancient Roman world. In Thessalonica, a band of Christians faced persecution and questions. Paul writes to encourage and instruct them. 

Time to take one last look at Genesis, where we’ve been, and what it all means. From the dawn of creation, our journey has brought us to the banks of the Nile; Jacob’s children and their families are in a foreign land, but God is enacting His plan to rescue the world.

Scripture says that ‘it is appointed unto men once to die’ – but how we die, and how we face death, reflects the reality of our faith. The final scenes in Genesis recount the deaths of Jacob and Joseph, and demonstrate their faith in God and His promises, at the end of life.

While Genesis reveals God as being patient and faithful, He is also holy and just. In Gen. 49, Jacob gathers his sons to tell their futures, both good and bad, based on how they lived their lives. The lesson for Christians today is transparent: What you do now matters!

Aren’t you glad God is patient? We are fickle, and often fail, but He is faithful! Jacob fought with God for much of his life, but God never gave up on him, and in his last days, God won his heart. He showed he had learned to trust God – a life lesson we all need to learn.

While God’s plan cannot be thwarted by the sinful actions of men, it is magnified when combined with the wise leadership of godly men. Joseph is ‘Exhibit A’ of this truth, both with his family, and with the Egyptians. Happy is the man who finds wisdom (Proverbs 3:13)!

God keeps His word!   He told Abraham his descendants would go to a foreign land, and now they are traveling to Egypt. On the way, He reminds Jacob that He will make them a great nation, but little could Jacob have known then how! God’s providential power is on display.

The tension that has been building since Joseph’s brothers first came to Egypt is released as he reveals who he is! They are frightened, but need not be: Joseph sees God’s sovereign hand at work, preserving a nation, and restoring a family. This is what God can do!

Twenty years after being sold by his brothers, Joseph is ruling Egypt. Not knowing it is him, they stand before him in need of food. Have their hearts changed? The tension reaches a fever pitch as Joseph instigates a test to determine if their spiritual transformation is real.

What God Wants to Give You for Christmas… A Gift That Keeps on Giving… Forever

What God Wants to Give You for Christmas: A Star to Follow

What God wants to give you for Christmas – Peace on Earth

This is a time to reflect thanksgiving and praise to God and each other.