Taking Down a Nation
Would you turn in your Bibles, please, to First Kings Chapter 12 in your Old Testament. First Kings, find that book, First Kings Chapter 12. A few years ago, I…
Would you turn in your Bibles, please, to First Kings Chapter 12 in your Old Testament. First Kings, find that book, First Kings Chapter 12. A few years ago, I…
The best predictor of success in life, in love, and in leadership is your proficiency at please, sorry, and thanks. Those three words are the foundation of all healthy relationships…
“Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods; therefore I will no longer deliver you. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver…
The dream was perfect. I was at a party and as I moved through the crowd I was really enjoying some sweet revenge by telling stories about someone who…
Psalm 120: 6-7 “Too long have I lived among those who hate peace. I am a man of peace; but when I speak, they are for war.” “I’m coming…
Years ago, a mundane event turned into one of the more interesting and memorable moments of my life. I was flying from Los Angeles to El Paso, Texas, to speak…
Dear Roger, I’ve been watching the Asbury Revival closely, as well as the other revivals that are breaking out around the world. Part of me is absolutely thrilled to see…
During the earth’s greatest trial and tribulation will also come its greatest opportunity for salvation. Even after the church is raptured off the earth and ensconced in heaven, there will…
2 Kings 23:1 “King Josiah sent word and they brought to him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem. 2 The king went up to the house of the Lord, and with…
Let’s begin with a hard thing to reconcile between the Bible and the Constitution. Consider these two statements. From the US Bill of Rights, First Amendment: “Congress shall make…
What happens when we try to plan our own repentance? God reveals his heart in Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son.
Sexual Freedom = Happiness? Gen Z (also known as iGen), are currently between the ages of 6 and 24 years old. These youth have been influenced by society to view…
The Hebrew word for peace is SHALOM. Shalom is RELATIONAL HARMONY and it’s four-dimensional. It’s right relationship with God, Self, Others, and Creation. How do we experience the peace…
There are two things that can get us down in life: our own sin and the actions of others. This chapter is going to give us a detailed account of…
“All Scripture is . . . profitable for . . . reproof” (2 Tim. 3:16). People who aren’t interested in holy living will avoid being exposed to sound doctrine. Paul instructed…
The Book of Judges closely parallels the times we live in today. We can learn much about our culture from studying this Bible book! Scholar Abraham Kuruvilla introduces us to…
This is the story of my wife, Angel, from her perspective. I am a type A, first born. By the time I was twenty, I had my life planned out.…
For a brief period, Israel was very close to Camelot. A king with a heart after God established its borders and took possession of its capital city, Jerusalem, to display…
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” Proverbs 14:12 (KJV) Most Christians set out in their new life…
Believe your big risks will be rewarded. Believe what you ask for is possible. If you’re ready to see a spark in your life, pray boldly. Pray daringly. Pray with…
When it comes to repairing relationships, no one responds well to being convinced, coerced, convicted or controlled. Yet we try those approaches over and over again. www.northpointcommunitychurch.com.
THE TRAITS OF A SPIRITUAL CHILD Read: I John 2:12-14 Their sins have been forgiven and they are just coming to know God (I John 2:12-13) The word “know” in…
Dear Roger, It’s been almost a year since I took my three children and left my husband. At that time, my daughters were 15 and 13, and my son was…
Our world is talking theology. They probably aren’t aware of it, but theological conversations permeate the air. One such conversation that has persisted over the past several years has been…
Do you know what Jonah’s final recorded words were? Were they words of repentance? Words of gratitude? Words of praise? Nope. They were words of spite. The last words that…
When you read Genesis in entirety, you see what a master stroke God is doing, very deliberately, to repeat these stories. They tell us something very important, they tell us…
“Returning to God” 1 Samuel 7:3-4 Introduction From Aaron and the golden calf to Paul and the altar to an unknown God, idolatry is discussed and illustrated as the governing sin…
“Returning to God Through Prayer” Matthew 6:5-13 Introduction Prayer is like the National Anthem before a football game for many of us. It gets the game started but has no…
How many of us have any idea the depths of God’s forgiveness? In June of 1983, a young woman named Karla Faye Tucker savagely murdered a couple as they slept. …
Q: Does God permit or condone revenge? “Then Samson called to the LORD and said, “O Lord GOD, please remember me and please strengthen me only this once, O God,…
The second section of James takes a closer look at temptation and will hammer out some vital Biblical principles which will help us face the reality of evil in our…
We live in an apology-averse culture. We are allergic to repentance and equally allergic to forgiveness. Think about it? When was the last time someone repented to you? I mean,…
If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin…
In my troubles I pled with God to help me and he did! Deliver me, O Lord, from liars. O lying tongue, what shall be your fate? You shall be pierced with sharp…
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel, Shall come to thee, O Israel. “…and they will call him Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” Matthew 1:23 NIV84 O Come, O Come Emmanuel Time after…
“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2). True confession involves a proper understanding of sin. King David was a man after God’s own…
Dear Roger, What will happen to the people who miss the Rapture? Will they still be able to become Christians? Will the pain and suffering during…
Prayer – It is a gift to us from our loving heavenly Father, a gift that wields mighty power. We know these things. Yet, I have to stop and ask,…
The Oxford Dictionary defines apathy as “lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.” It’s the state of being indifferent to something that should otherwise arouse, provoke, or motivate you. It has been noted…
Hurting someone because they hurt you doesn’t end the cycle. It perpetuates it. And it makes you look like the person you dislike. www.sermons.love. www.northpointchurch.com.
Because sin grows best when it’s left unaddressed. And when we’ll address it, we won’t be lethargic. We will be hungry. We won’t be lenient. We will be disciplined. When…
How do we prepare ourselves to be ready for the return of Christ? Jesus teaches us how in Matthew 24. Preached at Casas Church. Used by permission.
The die had been cast. The plans had been laid. The end of a brother would soon come. He wasn’t alone in his deceit. His mother was right there with…
Pride is the essence of sin, and steals God’s glory. How do we conquer it and humble ourselves? www.debwaterbury.com.
Satan has a trap. He wants us to think the word “idol” doesn’t apply to us. However, because sin affects everyone, so does idolatry. As Pastor Evans mentioned, “idolatry is…
The Bronze Serpent was a picture of the sin that Jesus would become for us. Without executing this spiritual exchange, we could never become the righteousness of God (Romans 3:23).
Dear Roger, I’m beginning to get scared. Pandemic surges. Earthquakes, fires, wars abound. I’m worried about my family. Especially right now, I want my prayers to be answered. But is…
Dear Roger, I’m a new Christian, and I got invited to a Bible study. Everyone in the circle prayed a nice prayer, but when it came to my…
A true revival does not just happen. There are conditions that must reside in the human heart before the Lord visits His people. We Must Want Deliverance, Not Just Relief…
Dear Roger, I can’t imagine anyone choosing to be in hell. I’d rather think of hell as where God banishes people he chooses to punish. But, is it true that…
In this study we will see how the prophet Jeremiah, in his writings, demonstrated that the person who sins does not know God, and that truly knowing God is dependent…
Sin, bitterness, pride, arrogance, rebellion are all dangerous impediments to our spiritual lives and make us vulnerable to Satan’s influence.
Jesus Christ speaks to why having a future perspective, an eternal perspective, is absolutely critical for your earthly life now. You have two choices with your life. I have two…
If you feel disconnected, hopeless, or you just know something is missing—it’s not the end of your story. It’s an opportunity to reconnect. To find hope. And to rediscover what…
Dear Roger, I served as the treasurer of our church for almost 20 years. Not long ago, some money turned up missing, and I was blamed. The humiliation and…
Adultery is devastating. In the aftermath of an adulterous affair, the offending spouse must first turn away from sin through repentance before God. But after such repentance takes place,…
How do you seek God? You pursue a relationship while simultaneously submitting to his rule, his authority, where he has the last word over your word, over your thoughts, over…
Renewed | Part 2 | “A New Heart” Text: Ezekiel 36:22-27, Philippians 1:6 This is literal regeneration. Jesus is right in front of me, waiting for me to be ready…
It’s ten o’clock, do you know where your husband is? Apparently many Americans are asking this question, judging by the sales and buzz generated by The Script: The 100% Predictable Things…
Forgiving others is hard, but forgiving yourself can be even more difficult. When guilt and regret fill your past, believing in your future seems impossible. But God wants you to…
Jesus was more than a mere prophet – he was the sinless Son of God, the human-divine sacrifice for our sins. But he is a prophet nonetheless, and the greatest…
Walking In Darkness “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do…
Egypt suffered horribly when God sent the plague of the frogs. Frogs were everywhere, but Pharaoh waited to call for Moses. In the same way, we tolerate sin in our…
Come home. You’re not too far gone. You’re not out of reach. You’re not hopeless. You’re never too far from the embrace of the forgiving, compassionate, and loving arms of…
1. Returning to God Spiritual awakening involves returning to God. When God seems distant from us, it is never God who has departed from the relationship. God urged His…
Dear Roger, It seems like many people use the phrase, “Don’t judge me,” to justify any sort of behavior. In Matthew 7:1-2 Jesus says, “Do not judge or you too will be…
Dear Roger, My brother-in-law, recently posted this query to me via e-mail: Question from reading John 12:39-41 – my commentary says, people in Jesus’ time would not believe despite…
Hello Roger, I was just reading your teaching on divorce and remarriage and I find it very fulfilling because we are dealing with those issues in our church and this…
I’d like to list a few ways the biblical idea of repentance can indeed be “hijacked” or stolen. Unhitch Method One way to hijack something would be to unhitch the…
Most Christians I know want the church to experience revival. We just don’t all agree on what revival looks like. Back in the “olden days” (the mid-1990’s) I preached a few times…
Anger is a God-given emotion. Which of these statements about anger is true? “I should never allow myself to become angry.” “Anger can become a sin, and that’s okay.” “The…
Guest author for Covenant Eyes, Nate Larkin teaches on the insidious nature of lying as a lifestyle: “There are those, too, who suffer from grave emotional and mental disorders, but…
Repentance is no more a meritorious work than its counterpart, faith. Repentance is an inward response. Genuine repentance pleads with the Lord to forgive and deliver from the burden of…
Dear Roger, I’m scared for my brother. He’s turned his back on Christianity. All of us kids grew up in church and got baptized when we were children. Mom and…
Preachers have provided us with a plethora of postulations. I think I have a pretty definitive answer to that question. Here are some lame ones. Was Jesus doodling to stall…
Imagine what a contemporary spiritual awakening might look like in America, in our church and in our culture? When a Christ Awakening comes, it will bring about a restoration of…
Roger, During my freshman year of college I was raped. I have had this fear inside of me that it’s going to happen again. Each day I feel scared and…
Hello, Roger! Jack Wellman of “Telling Ministries: Talking Truth Through Technology”, emailed me an article that he had written delineating some of the signs of apathy that tell the…
Dear Roger, Our pastor mentioned Enoch in his Sunday sermon. I’ve never heard of him. He was teaching on the book of Jude and I never read much about either…
If you’ve been a parent for any time at all, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that your child came into the world with an insatiable faculty for…
The death of Hugh Hefner, the Playboy founder, saw multiple posts on social media remarking about the eternal destiny of the man, that Hefner, having never repented of his sin,…
Dear Roger, Our Bible study group was studying the Song of Solomon and came across Song of Solomon 2:15: “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin…
My childhood goal was to be a “good girl,” taking perfectionism to a whole new level. I belonged to every club, was an honor student, and felt incredibly guilty if…
I believe that abortion is the most important social issue of our day. There are few issues that tell us more about our society. Abortion is important because allowing the…
The Discovery Channel once hosted a series called “Dirty Jobs.” Mike Rowe, the host, mucked-out, dug under, flushed, slogged, and slid through some of the most filthy and foul places…
Dear Roger, I’ve read the book of Daniel several times. Recently, I read a verse that I’d never noticed before that got me quite excited. In Daniel chapter 12 God…
How do you beat porn addiction? For the man or woman who has been fighting this battle for the long time, often its seems like there’s no hope in sight.…
An episode of ABC’s Modern Family captures the split in American opinions about porn. Claire Dunphy finds a dirty picture on one of their computers and assumes it was her…
The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it in your back pocket. -Will Rogers The Millionaire Next Door, written by Stanley and…
CLICK ON VIMEO ICON OR WATCH HERE. The Bible says that the nation of Israel followed God faithfully throughout the life of Joshua and the elders who succeeded him. But…
Revelation 2:17 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna,…
Proverbs three is a life map that we can’t avoid. This pithy chapter has keys to love, life and faith that will stay our course on our walks with God.…
If there’s anyone who wants to hurt the church, we have a spiritual enemy who wants I believe to divide us in denominations so we don’t work together. I also…
Churchgoers can listen to a sermon and never apply it. If they trusted Christ when they were young, they often trust that one-time decision to keep them out of hell…
Dad, did you know that your relationship with your daughter is the most important relationship in her life? It is. Enjoy it. Encourage her. She is seeking your approval. A…
Christians have made the gospel about so many things … things other than Christ. Jesus Christ is the gravitational pull that brings everything together and gives them significance, reality, and…
Peter began with deep faith, then slipped into over-confidence and spiritual laziness. Intimacy with Jesus was replaced with distant following. We can re-build our lives when we come to Jesus…
When I was a young believer, I committed to memory Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even…
Hi, Roger I would like to know if it is a sin if a woman doesn’t cover her head when praying and worshiping the lord. Or even to step inside…
No one wants their garbage revealed. You have this picture of this big God. Jesus said to the church at Sardis, “Recognize who I am, and that you are dead…
Passivity in our spiritual lives is a powerful, insidious, destructive enemy. The Spirit of God does not want us merely to tolerate oppression; He desires we conquer it. He has…
Four great discoveries are revealed in Romans 6. We have evil natures and have committed sins against a Holy God. While we desire to do well, we always struggle with…
We don’t want the changed life, we want the exchanged life. For this God has given us His Holy Spirit. The Christian life becomes practical through the life and ministry…
Do you believe in Jesus? I’ve believed in Jesus since October of 1983. When I first came to Christ I knew almost nothing. I had a sense that there was…
Have you ever experienced betrayal? Well the first time it happened to me I was 17. We lived in Columbia, South Carolina, and I was very involved in basketball. I…
In the kingdom, there are no great men of God, just humble men whom God has chosen to use greatly. How do we know when we are humble? When God…
We must watch for the “danger of the drift” or slowly falling away from God. What is the power of hidden sin? It kills good judgment causing a downward spiral…
In Haggai 2, the Israelites begin to re-build the Temple after the foundation had lain desolate for fifteen years. God’s people start to repent and obey God, but their circumstances…
The prophet Habakkuk prophesied during the Babylonian occupation and questioned God about why the nation suffered so. At the end of the book, the prophet comes to faith and proclaims…
Dear Roger, Is it OK to lend money with interest? Patrick Dear Patrick. Yes, it is OK to loan money with interest. Jesus scolded the one-talent man in Matthew…
I am the quintessential questioner. My questioning does not stop at my faith. I’ve lobbed many questions God’s way. I’ve questioned and expressed doubts about my Christian faith, about the…
What do you do when a member of your church body falls into sin? How do you help them, rescue them, and not fall into the same temptation yourself. Grace…
Getting the gospel right matters. We must see God correctly, and teach the right view of God. When we model the Christian faith, our sheep see what a true believer…
What does it mean to be an extravagant worshipper? Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines the word extravagant as “2a: exceeding the limits of reason b: lacking in moderation, balance and restraint,…
The summer before my eighth-grade year I made friends with a guy named Larry. He was new to town, so I encouraged him to go out for our school football…
FORGIVE ME if this chapter is disjointed. As I write, I am angry. I am angered by a cricket. He’s loud. He’s obnoxious. He’s hidden. And he’s in big trouble…
I always fantasized about the day I’d reach the finish line-you know, that amazing pinnacle of spiritual maturity where God and I were tight, nothing phased me and I constantly…
Most of us are suffering the consequences of believing lies. Those consequences include broken relationships, fear, depression, self-loathing, and guilt, to name a few. The results of believing a lie…
When we sin, we need to come clean with God — without the attitude. Instead of wallowing in guilt. we should confess, change our ways and move on. God walks…
Haggai-now that’s a name that seldom comes up in conversation! Who is this mysterious Old Testament preacher and why should we heed his words? Recently, I had the chance to…
You have to blame it on Copernicus. The world was rocking along pretty well until he came along in 1543 and announced that the sun, and not the earth was…
Sometimes God needs to break us out of our comfort zones to see what we can truly be if we surrender our lives to Him. God still stirs hearts –…
Psalm 120 describes the dissatisfaction the pilgrim feels with the place he is spiritually. He longs for greater intimacy with God. The allegorical details of this “faraway” place are compelling.
King David knew that he had sinned against the Lord, but he hadn’t completely dealt with the ramifications of broken lives that surrounded his choice. One aspect of repentance is…
Jonah preaches repentance to the Ninevites, and they take some radical steps when they surrender to God. They fast and wear sackcloth. Yet the key to their repentance is not…
As pastors and church leaders, we often encounter difficult questions from people who are suffering physically, emotionally and spiritually. How would you answer these questions posed to me early in…
The battle is at hand. We must carefully avoid compromising our faith and drifting away from our relationship with Christ. Walk intimately with Jesus every day by holding firm to…
Elijah takes a stand in a bold confrontation with the prophets of Baal and calls the hearts of the people back toward God. God reveals Himself again in an effort to recapture…
Jesus warns Sardis, the dead church, that pretension is deadly. They are commanded to strengthen their faith, repent and obey God’s Word. When we do the same, our eternal destiny…
The sin of lukewarmness can look like indifference to sin, disinterest in the lost, eroded Christian values and integrity, apathy in obedience to Christ, neglect of personal devotional life and…
God is wearied by the Israelites’ excessive complaining. Instead of repenting, the Jews compare themselves with their pagan neighbors and ask, “Where is the God of justice?” God responds by…
Malachi warns the levitical priests to repent of their sins and respond to the discipline of God. If not, the judgment of God will rest on Israel’s spiritual leaders.
We often deal with our sins by libertinism, rationalism, and justification of secret sins. Instead, we must surrender to the Holy Spirit’s work.
Genesis 42 chronicles the expedition of Joseph’s brothers to Egypt, the interrogation of the brothers by Joseph, the introspection of the brothers before Joseph, and the report of the brothers…
The detestable nature of rebellion is contrasted with submission. Pride’s destructive nature is weighed against humility.
Dear Roger, I am a pretty new Christian. I have some Bible studies that help me know about the facts of the Bible, but I am not sure how to…
The parable of the vineyard contrasts the hearts of two sons. One is rebellious but repents; the other is compliant but fails to follow through. Actually doing what God desires…
We all deal with feelings of anger. In Matthew 5, Jesus gives us a model for handling anger. We must not belittle others, we must reconcile with those we have…
Pride is deceptive. A proud attitude can cause us to be self-reliant, and to steal God’s glory for our own self-aggrandizement.
Amos chides God’s people for living in luxury and apathy, and refusing to have compassion upon the poor. He encourages them to wake up and see the needs of others.
King David’s prayer of repentance and restoration models what we can do to overcome failure and sin in our lives. Honest confession, brokenness and an assurance of God’s grace can…