1 John 3 1 John 3 is written to help the believer see their place as a child of God. John is trying to articulate the new relationship that a believer has in the Father as compared to the relationships we have in this world. He starts the chapter right straightaway by highlighting the greatness of the love of our Father. Verse 2 is always compelling to me because it rem...

1 John 2 This chapter begins with a medley of some of the most incredible truths of Scripture. First, that God knows that we are sinners (we don't have to hide it from Him). Secondly, that when we (inevitably) sin, God is not only the Righteous Judge (who makes things right) and not only the Suffering Savior (who takes the judgment of the Father), but also our Advocate ...

1 John 1 WHY DID HE WRITE 1 John? One of the great things about the writings of John is that he always tells you exactly why he's writing. He doesn't leave you guessing. He wants you to know why his writings exist. The Gospel of John was written so that people would believe. John 20 30 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not ...

Titus 2 In Titus we see the inseparable link between faith and practice. The behaviors listed below are in conformity to what is required of leaders and in direct contrast to the behavior of the false teachers mentioned in Titus. Right doctrine leads to right behavior. The root of this behavior is the gospel and we are to teach it with authority. Men Sober Minded D...

Titus 1 Before I started attending Hutto Bible Church, I had no idea what a church elder is or what their responsibilities are. When I was younger and heard the term "elder", images of old, wise-looking indigenous men from National Geographic magazines came to mind. My understanding of a tribal elder was a man that was probably a fierce warrior when he was younger, an e...

1 Timohty 4 What is the attraction of junk food? We know it is named accurately - junk. We know it is going to make us feel bad after eating it. We know that it is going to have a poor impact on our health. We know it has little to no nutritional value. So what is it that gives us the desire to eat it? o It is cheapo It tastes goodo It doesn't take up much of our timeo...

2 Timothy 3 Have you ever noticed that there are certain Bible verses which people tend to like to put on their walls or refrigerator? Usually they pick inspiring verses about God's love for us, and His grace He pours on us. Others pick verses about God's plans to prosper us. Today we're looking at some verses, which fall more on the other end of the spectrum. While Go...

2 Timothy 2 Paul writes Timothy as his own life is about to come to an abrupt end under the decree of CaesarNero. Paul's main emphasis throughout this letter is simply: "Don't give up and don't give in." He wants Timothy to finish well and avoid the trap that so many fall into, including the trusted companion Demas who, "in love with this present world, has deserted me....

2 Timothy 1 I used to participate in a "ToastMasters" club. It's a club for people who want to improve their public speaking ability. One of its key tenets is "evaluate everything" -- after every opportunity anyone had to speak, even the smallest opportunities, we tried to give encouraging, constructive, meaningful advice about how they did and what they could improve. ...

1 Timothy 5 In this passage, the Holy Spirit teaches us through Pal about the roles and relationships that are good and proper in the church. These are things we should have learned growing up, but many of us missed the lesson, or weren't taught properly, or just drift from what we know is right. So, once again, God's Word provides the standard by which we can measure ...