What does “pleasing God” mean? Hebrews 11:5 uses the same Greek word that the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) uses in Genesis 5:24. It is the Greek word εὐαρεστέω (euaresteo). It is a compound word from εὖ (eu) meaning good or well, and ἀρεστός (arestos) meaning agreeable or pleasing. When these two words join, they have the idea of “well pleasing” or “fully acceptable” or “entirely satisfying.”
For those who fear Him, the Lord will deliver them from 1) Fears, 2) Want, 3) Life, 4) Cries, 5) Troubles, 6) Afflictions. Each person will fear the Lord to receive His blessings. I want to instill a sense of trust in God when trials come our way.
Simply attaching God’s name to an activity does not make it holy. We cannot make something holy simply be declaring it such. Only God holds that prerogative. We must avoid turning worship into a circus, common spectacle, or entertainment forum. We should take care that we do not so treat God’s holy things! Remember Nadab and Abihu? They were lax with God’s holy things and they paid the price.
Love is longsuffering because it is 1) A Quality of God, 2) Key to Relationships, 3) Curtails Selfishness. Each should be able to understand how being longsuffering will help us to love God and one another.
The name of God is holy and sacred. Yet, there are some who profane it by bringing it down to common use. We should only speak of God in a holy way. We profane God’s name when we use it in an unholy way. The church that Christ built and for which he died (Acts 20:38) is a holy and sacred institution. We must regard the church as holy.
Wrestling with the holiness of God means struggling with 1) The Goal of God, 2) The Practice of Purity, 3) The Direction of Distinctiveness. We want to 1) have the goal of God, 2) practice purity, and 3) be distinct.
God spells out some things that are holy— that are sanctified. In Romans 1:2 we see that the scriptures are holy; they are set apart by God for a special purpose (see also 2 Timothy 3:15). In Ephesians 5:27 we read that the church is holy. Hebrews 7:26 says that we have a holy High Priest. And in the epistles of Peter, Christians are to be holy; they are a holy nation (1 Peter 1:15, 16 and 1 Peter 2:9). Are we concerned about holiness?
In 1 Corinthians 11, the Lord's Supper is a solemn memorial, not a meal. If it loses meaning for you, do not blame the Lord or the elements. Change your thinking.
One who is virtuous (morally excellent) is living according to God's standard of behavior, following Jesus Christ, and faithfully serving in the church. Each person should understand that to think on things that are virtuous we must study the Bible, follow Christ, and be faithful to the church.
The Gospels show one moderate portion of bread and cup for each disciple. Paul forbids making the Lord's Supper a common meal (1 Corinthians 11:20-22).
Internet Work Report for 2025 detailing items published, number of people visiting, and extent of use in the world.
Some want to enlarge the Lord's Supper into a full meal. But Jesus gave simple elements to remember Him weekly (Acts 20:7). It does not need to be enlarged.
Who wrestles with God? 1) Jacob wrestled with God, 2) Jesus wrestled with God, 3) We wrestle with God. Each person should understand that there is a constant tension between self and God and that we must humble ourselves before Him.
Many of those parents had regrets that they did not sit down and talk to their children about these most important things. Don’t let that child be yours! We must talk to them about the truth. The church can help, but ultimately, the child will watch and listen to the parent. Send the right message clearly and often.
Many of those parents had regrets that they did not sit down and talk to their children about these most important things. Don’t let that child be yours! We must talk to them about the truth. The church can help, but ultimately, the child will watch and listen to the parent. Send the right message clearly and often.
Today’s media merely reflects a much worse problem: Many people really do think and act like the sordid situations on the sitcoms. Their perverse behavior drives the content and output of media today. The problem is the sin of immorality. The church (and every individual member) has a responsibility to combat this evil in our society. How can we fight this when it seems like such a big problem?
In Psalm 33 we learn to praise God for His character, creation, counsel, consideration, and consolation. Each person should be able to state five reasons to praise God.
Jesus lived a perfect, sinless life. Admittedly, we don’t (1 John 1:8-10). However, we must try NOT to sin as it is an affront to God and if we live in sin, we will be separated from God (Isaiah 59:2). Jesus always chose not to sin. He was tempted directly by Satan, but He chose not to sin (Matthew 4:1-11). He was tempted by Peter’s weakness (Matthew 16:22-23), but He chose not to give in.
Authentic Christians give to the church to 1) Support the Gospel, 2) Be Spiritual 3) Do Good, 4) Support the Poor. Each person should be able to list four reasons why an authentic Christian gives to the church.
I cannot think of a more encouraging thought than to think of the title of this article—Jesus Chose! We have the great blessing of being able to look back upon the events that led up to the cross and learn from the life of Christ how we can live our life as well.