Purity

The Day Jesus Cleaned House

[336 words] Why did Jesus have to cleanse the temple? Why was He not content to just let things go on business as usual? In John 2, Jesus “cleans house” literally because those Jews had made the temple a “house of merchandise” (John 2:16). There were things, behaviors, and attitudes that didn’t belong in a…

How the Romans Won the War and Lost the Peace

[294 words] William Barclay, in his commentary on Thessalonians, states that during the period of the Roman Republic, the Romans had not a single divorce for a 520-year period. However, as they moved away from the Republic into more of a socialistic empire, things began to change. Although they had previously conquered the Greeks militarily,…

Godliness is Greater

[348 words] Devotion in action. Seeking to be like God for God’s sake. With phrases such as this we attempt to convey what we mean when we speak of living a godly life. In a world that is searching for the right way to live and the best way to experience fulfillment, it is godliness…

Would You Eat One?

[231 words] I don’t know how many of you have seen nutria. But if you fish in Louisiana you have seen them. They live near the water, and look like rats. They are not native to Louisiana and can and do destroy our wetlands. There is a move to convince people to hunt, kill, and…

Very Religious People

  [154 words] When the apostle Paul was in Athens he made an interesting observation. He said “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.…

Teaching Kids Sexual Purity

[254 words] Our culture is in a sexual free fall. The average age for first-time sexual intercourse for boys is 15.9 (girls 16.2). The vast majority of students are sexual by the time they are high school seniors. By the way, the percentage of “Christian” kids is no different. Parents don’t know what to do.…

Unseen Dirt

[116 words] Lord, it’s not the dirt and clutter in plain sight that nags at me. It’s the hidden dirt, you know, behind the refrigerator, in the closets, under the beds–dirt that no one sees or knows about but me. It’s the same way with my life, God, as it’s those hidden sins that I…

Out of the Mouths of Babes

[108 words] A family is riding in the family car and an ad for a current movie comes on the radio. At the end of the advertisement comes the disclaimer, “Opens Friday in a theater near you! This film contains intense thematic material, graphic violence, nudity, strong sexual situations, drug content and coarse language. May…