Search Results for: confession

This short linguistic study focuses on the New Testament teaching about confession, and is in the Q&A format. (This has been excerpted from actual correspondence, with permission.)I have searched quite… Read More

Is there a biblical precedent for a church leader asking a church member to write and publicly read before the entire church a letter confessing a personal, private sin—such as… Read More

Note: The following was constructed from an 8-part series in our 2022 newsletter. Catholicism’s Seven Sacraments The Council of Trent (1545-1563) affirmed: “If anyone says that the sacraments… are not… Read More

I have a question about Romans 10:9. Before every baptism I’ve been to, including my own, the person to be baptized confessed "Jesus is Lord." Was this confession done in… Read More

Do we need to confess our sins daily to someone else? Things I do know: confession to God is of the utmost importance. It is also important to confess/make amends… Read More

Click the play arrow to hear “Prayer x7” (12 mins), the 34th reflection in our series on James. . James 5:13-18 Prayer 7x in this passage “You must pray with… Read More

1 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 It is written in the prophet Isaiah: Look, I am going to send my messenger in… Read More

1 Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be… Read More

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this… Read More

I gather from Romans 10 (and by piecing together instances in Acts) that hearing the message, believing (and audibly confessing) Jesus as Lord, repenting of sins, and being baptized are… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (15 minutes), or right click here, in order to download, save, and listen later. 1 We declare to you what was from the… Read More

Do you have to confess every sin before God will accept you as a Christian? Although I would not try to talk a person out of doing so, we must… Read More

Are you obligated to confess every single sin you’ve committed in your past to your fiancé before getting married? If the sin has nothing to with your relationship, do you… Read More

Utopia follows secularization as a shadow follows a body[1] There is a trait noticeable about many atheists, besides the obvious one that they don’t believe in God.  This is that… Read More

SPIRITUAL RENOVATION Fresh thoughts about following Jesus March 27, 2023 Andrew Kitchen You need to forgive and move on. Right? Or maybe it’s actually very wrong. Someone has said terrible… Read More

Daniel McCoy | Bio SHARE How destructive is the sin of greed? Greed is an attitude that craves more and more and can never find enough. Colossians 3:5 equates greed with idolatry,… Read More

QUIZ 1 Test your knowledge of one of the major world religions. If we are to love and influence all nations for Christ, it’s vital we have at least a basic… Read More

“Has modernity finally done what no enemy or persecutor has ever succeeded in doing and reduced the authority of the Scriptures to a shifting weather vane and the church to… Read More

by Greg Koukl, March 1, 2019 I do not consider myself a particularly brave person, and I think it especially foolish, on the main, to make a frontal assault on… Read More

John 19 concludes with the burial of Jesus. Now, in John 20, it is Sunday morning, the third day since the crucifixion—and the tomb is empty! Click on the arrow… Read More

What are your thoughts on the interpretation of Matthew 16:13-20, which suggests that the "rock" Jesus was referring to when Peter confessed that Jesus as Christ was a mountain where… Read More

1 During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, 2 “I have compassion for these people; they… Read More

When you study the Bible with someone who intentionally or unintentionally leaves some sin unconfessed, does that mean that the baptism is invalid? Some have told me it does, but… Read More

19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews,… Read More

1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God on their behalf is for salvation. 2 I testify with regard to them that they have zeal for God, but it… Read More

THE NEWSLETTER OF IBTM WITH DOUGLAS JACOBY Hello from Lancashire! Here in England spring has arrived—temperatures in the 50s (10º+ C), budding trees and bushes, frolicking ponies and lambs, days… Read More

By Christopher Reese Nov 17, 2023 It’s obvious to any observant Christian in America that we live in a time in which religion is marginalized by the culture-forming institutions of… Read More

by Paul Copan APR 10 SAVE ▷  LISTEN The Brilliance of J. S. Bach My wife’s and my favorite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). His music is brilliant, complex, and… Read More

This article is part of the 10 Things You Should Know series. Thinking Critically about Islam November 15, 2022by: A. S. Ibrahim I always teach my students to distinguish between Islam and Muslims…. Read More

The Norm Should Be Love God has made it clear that the norm for his children should be love. It is the thing that the listening and watching world should… Read More

Written by Rubel ShellySeptember 2022 Edition The following article is reproduced by permission of its author, Rubel Shelly. This list of ten practices was handed out at Harbor: The Pepperdine Bible… Read More

Talking with one of my religious friends, I’ve just heard a new term called “election.” Is this biblical? Actually, election is an old term, since it appears in the Bible… Read More

Introduction C.S. Lewis used the term ‘a great cataract of nonsense’ to describe how people use a modern idea to construe Bible theology. One such example, perhaps the best example,… Read More

Famous Christians 2: Patrick Here are a podcast plus notes on St. Patrick’s Day (8 minutes). To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target… Read More

“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly,… Read More

Scripture: Gal 5:22-23; Eph 4:2; Gal 6:2; Rom 12:18; Phil 4:8; Rom 2:9; 1 Pet 3:16; Isa 57:20-21; 2 Cor 1:12; 7:4; 1 John 3:21; Isa 48:22; Mic 3:11; Psalm… Read More

“The Victory of Joshua over the Amalekites” by Nicholas Poussin, via Wikimedia Commons. October 01, 2018 | By Tremper Longman (guest author) BioLogos.org The Bible holds an essential place in Christian faith. The… Read More

A lot of people I know are on painkillers. Given the role that suffering plays in developing character and a cruciform life, should we avoid taking pills? There are always… Read More

Introduction We may be tempted to conceive of Christian history as a vast wasteland stretching from the post-apostolic period till fairly modern times; yet this is not quite accurate. Even… Read More

Click on the arrow to play the podcast (21 minutes), or right click here, save and listen later. 19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 And the soldiers wove a… Read More

In this opening lesson (15 minutes), we will consider the nature of John’s gospel, and then probe the important prologue (1:1-18), which sets the stage for the entire gospel. Click… Read More

To hear the podcast (54 mins) titled Why I Am Not a Protestant, click on the arrow. To download and listen to it later, right click here and then on ‘save… Read More

For CLEAN podcast 5, on Walking in the Light, click the play arrow. The podcast (14 minutes) can also be downloaded. To listen later, download by right clicking here, and ‘save target… Read More

Lesson 28 from A Disciplined Life (13 minutes) is now ready. Click the play arrow, or to listen later, download it by right-clicking here and saving it. Salient points: Here is the… Read More

Showing Christ’s Love to Transgender People My name is Brandon Redler and it is an honor for me to be used by God in my role as a member of… Read More

by Douglas Jacoby We would like to encourage you with the story of Michael Jacobs, 59, of Marietta, Georgia. Mike was brought up Jewish (bar mitzvah, rich cultural heritage, values… Read More

To download, right click on the link and click “Save Link As” or “Save target As” – Download Podcast Listen to the 10th podcast in the series (11 minutes), John:… Read More

In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. — George Orwell When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any… Read More

Here are a podcast and notes for Psalms 137, 58, 109: Prayers You Shouldn’t Pray (24 minutes). Click on arrow to play. To download the podcast, right click on “download”… Read More

This is a question that comes up repeatedly. Some of the reasons given are as follows: The person did not understand Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. The person was confused… Read More

To hear Prayer & Fasting (40 minutes), click on the play button: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and… Read More

Here are a podcast and notes on Islam A (11 minutes). To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and you… Read More

To hear Those Who Have Never Heard (27 minutes), click on the play button below. To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save… Read More

For Purgatory (12 minutes), click on the play button below: To download the podcast, right click on “download” and select “save link as” or “save target as” and you can… Read More

I was talking to an old pastor friend and he cited the example of Cornelius receiving salvation and the Holy Spirit before being baptized. He said this was proof that… Read More

The thief (robber) on the cross couldn’t get baptized and was still saved. How can we explain that? Do extraordinary faith and confession of Jesus as Lord save us, as… Read More

We know that John the Baptist immersed people. In John 4:1, we see that Jesus’ disciples were also immersing. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. What was the purpose… Read More

1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!  3 For this is… Read More

1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and he was transfigured before them. His… Read More

1 And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”… Read More

1 Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away… Read More

I was reading about Origen (d.254 AD), one of the ancient church fathers in a recent Christian history magazine, and it got me thinking. My church has taught for years that… Read More

Is it necessarily wrong for a Christian to date a non-Christian? Where do you stand on this issue? — Various The Bible does not address the dating issue directly –… Read More

In light of James 5:14 are church members often prayed over by the elders and anointed with oil? Or is this only have to do with confessing sins? Please help… Read More

I have been discussing the authority of the pope within the Roman Catholic church. My friend said that in Matthew 16 the Greek distinguished between the words Peter and rock…. Read More

I was wondering if having a discipler was essential for salvation. I know that the Bible says getting discipling and advice and counseling is essential, but there are many ways… Read More

Who was St. Patrick? Where does St. Patrick’s Day come from? Every year around March people start asking me, “Who was St. Patrick?” or “Should Christians celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?”  I wrote the following article in 2003. Hopefully it will prove… Read More

I have a question about restorations. I am helping a sister to return to the church, and am uncertain as to whether my friend is still in the darkness. She… Read More

Material found and used with permission from www.DoesGodExist.org. The Real Jesus of History by Joel Stephen Williams Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events… Read More

By John and Phyllis Clayton. Used with permission. And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, "Master,… Read More

1 Pilate then took Jesus and scourged Him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and put a purple robe on… Read More

This is the “handout” to accompany the church history powerpoint presentation made in Lagos, Nigeria (2005). In addition, the 7 lessons of church history are: 1. No clergy/laity distinction! 2…. Read More

North River Church of Christ: Sermon 20 NOV ’05 Holiday Preparation (5 Principles) HOLIDAY SPIRIT For many of us, 2006 promises to be one of the best years in a… Read More

by Thomas A. Jones Some unorganized thoughts: In the wake of the tragedies of September 11, the country has suddenly become once again interested in God. This presents unprecedented opportunities… Read More

This books list is related to past challenges, healing, and spiritual formation. Baile, Gil, Violence Unveiled, New York: Crossroad Publishing, 1992. This landmark work on how conflict emerges in communities… Read More

1 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the… Read More

The following are excerpts from Foxe’s Book of Martyrs (published Ambassador, complete), first published Basle 1559. John Foxe studied at Oxford and was ordained by Nicholas Ridley in 1550. He… Read More

The word “gnosticism” comes from gnosis, Greek for “knowledge.” Esoteric or secret knowledge is meant. The Gnostics believed that only an elite few enjoyed special enlightenment. The Gnostic view of… Read More

1 Now it is not necessary for me to write you about the ministry to the saints, 2 for I know your eagerness, which is the subject of my boasting… Read More

1 Paul an apostle– sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—2 and all the… Read More

I. Recommitment: The Old Testament Principle The Old Testament may surprisingly have something to say about “pruning,” or calling people to recommit themselves to their baptismal confession. There are a… Read More

1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, as… Read More

1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering his rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was… Read More

1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer… Read More

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and… Read More

13 Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. 14 Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders… Read More