After Solomon’s Temple was destroyed and the Jews were hauled off in the Babylonian exile, they could no longer come together at the temple in Jerusalem to worship, so they began to develop these local meeting locations where they could come to gather throughout the Babylonian Empire for prayer, to read scripture, and to receive instructions in God’s ways. As we move forward in time, by the third and second century BC, synagogues had become widespread throughout Judea, Asia Minor, Egypt and … [Read more...] about The Pharisee in Us
Humility
Why Dress Up for Church Services?
Most of us have heard the phrase, “God doesn’t care what you wear.” In one sense, that’s absolutely true. Scripture makes it clear that God looks at the heart, not outward appearance. Faith is not measured by fabric, and righteousness is not stitched into a suit jacket or pressed into a dress shirt. So why, then, do some people still choose to dress intentionally for church? For me, the answer came from an unexpected place: Psychology. Researchers studying a concept known as enclothed … [Read more...] about Why Dress Up for Church Services?
Subject Matter Experts
Today I want to go through a story about a fictitious, company, but with real-world events. At Acme Solutions, growth had stalled, projects dragged on. Compliance audits revealed gaps, and customers began losing confidence. The leadership team realized the root cause was a lack of deep expertise. Decisions were slow, errors were costly, and innovations was nowhere in sight. One day, the CEO posed a question, “What if we invest in knowledge instead of patching problems?” The answer came in the … [Read more...] about Subject Matter Experts
Husbands – A New Creation
John 1.1 states: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." These two beings decided to make humankind similar to Them: And God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them" (Genesis 1:26-27). So human beings are made in the image of the God family. Not just physically or in cognitive capacity, but in … [Read more...] about Husbands – A New Creation
The Power of Example Over Argument
In a world filled with endless noise – where every platform demands an opinion and every disagreement sparks debate – there’s something quietly powerful about a life well-lived. Not staged, not loud, not attention-seeking – but a sincere life that reflects the character and nature of God. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible emphasizes how God’s people live far more than how they debate. While the modern religious world often defaults to confrontation and verbal … [Read more...] about The Power of Example Over Argument
Three Choices: Good, Evil, & Life
Author Steven Covey states what distinguishes us as humans is the ability to examine our own character, to choose how to view ourselves and the situations in which we find ourselves, and to control our own effectiveness. This is important because it implies that we can learn the art of ethical behavior and apply it to life’s circumstances. He says “We are not our feelings. We are not our moods. We are not even our thoughts. The very fact that we can think about these things separates us from … [Read more...] about Three Choices: Good, Evil, & Life
The 3rd Commandment
God has provided us with some very clear directives as to how a relationship with Him is to be developed. It is summarized in the first four commandments. My focus will be on the third commandment: "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (Exodus 20:7). That’s some fairly strong language. It places a very high value on the use of God name. That gives us an idea of the seriousness of the commandment. But there … [Read more...] about The 3rd Commandment