“Understanding Romans: A Verse-by-Verse Analysis” is now available on Amazon.com as a paperback, ebook or audiobook. It is also available on Audible.com. Here it is on Audible.com: https://www.audible.com/pd/Understanding-Pauls-Epistle-to-the-Romans-Audiobook/B081BDSZ3Z?qid=1574033666&sr=1-3&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=YTXMC5CJW29020SNRDVS&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_3
September 23rd, 2019
What Does God Require?
Jesus was asked this very question in the sixth chapter of John’s gospel. The people asked him, “What shall we do that we might work the works of God?” The Amplified translation makes their question even more clear: “What are we to do to carry out what God requires?” If you asked this question to most Christians you would probably receive answers like these: do good things, live a holy
June 26th, 2019
Reimagining Christianity
When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…” he is suggesting that it is possible for us to imagine things that are incorrect – we are capable of misconceptions. And, as it turns out, there are in fact, many things we imagine about God, and about Christianity, which are not true at all. For instance,
March 29th, 2019
The Christian Life is Meant to be Easy
In the eleventh chapter of Matthew’s gospel, Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The first thing I notice about this passage is
February 17th, 2019
The Exchanged Life
It seems that we are always trying to change something about our lives. Whether it is a diet or an exercise program or quitting bad habits or starting good ones, we seem to have an instinctive sense that changes need to be made in our lives. We succeed or fail in our attempts at self-improvement according to the degree of our own human strength and will-power. Unfortunately, we bring this
February 16th, 2019
Reality, Not Religion
Jesus did not come into the world to bring another religion. Christianity, in fact, is not a religion at all. Religion is all about rules, laws, and codes of conduct. In other words, religion tells you what you must do to make yourself acceptable to God. The gospel, on the other hand, tells you what Jesus has already done to make you acceptable to God. Religion is man-made. It first
February 16th, 2019
The Christ-Centered Life
Christianity is not about you and your work. It is about Christ and his work. The Apostle Paul seems to have felt it necessary to constantly re-orient his readers towards this fundamental truth. For example, this is what he wrote to the Colossians: “I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at