The Church belongs to Jesus, and with great determination, he is working to restore it as one unified body under one head—himself. However, in its current state, the Church is divided and, consequently, weak. Clearly, this is not what God intended. In this teaching, “A Lovely Church,” we will explore what the Body of Christ so desperately needs: the love …
The Path to Restoration
I trust that we all take to heart Franco’s article, The Dangerous Drift. It is a sobering message, one that should prompt each of us to engage in a more diligent self-examination of our spiritual health. Our “righteousness in Christ” through salvation does not make us immune to sin, which at its core, is a desire to live according to …
The Marriage Covenant
I believe that the foundational relationship of humanity is marriage. Every other human relationship — friendship, partnership, parenting, or neighborliness — can be observed and mastered within the marriage covenant. It is the first human relationship established in God’s Word in the Garden of Eden. It is also the model covenant God used to invite Israel to become His chosen …
Rich Toward God
Money is important. Unfortunately, for many, the pursuit and accumulation of wealth become an all-consuming way of life. This is unhealthy, especially for followers of Jesus Christ. On several occasions, Jesus warned His followers about the dangers of money. One such warning is recorded in Luke’s gospel. The Parable of the Rich FoolLuke 12:13-15: Someone in the crowd said to …
Jacob Humbled Himself
As a historical biblical figure, Jacob, the son of Isaac, is not someone we would typically associate with humility. Perhaps terms like craftiness or selfishness come to mind when we think of this patriarch of Israel. Yet, when we examine his life more closely, I believe we can learn a great deal about humility. Like many of us, Jacob may …
Beyond Bible Knowledge
On December 30, 2024, at 8pm, TLTF had a group of Christian believers unite on a Zoom call to pray. We opened with a beautiful video narration of Jesus’ last prayer before he was taken in the Garden of Gethsemane to be crucified. That prayer is one I’ve never really taken much time to meditate on, but it is profoundly …
Measuring Growth in Faith, Not Numbers
As a Christian ministry in the modern world, it’s easy to get caught up in metrics like bank balances, social media engagement, and online participation. While these figures can offer some insight, they risk diverting us from our core mission: guiding individuals to become disciples of Christ. Focusing solely on numerical data is like counting social media connections instead of …
Transactions & Transformation
Shortly after last month’s newsletter was sent out, a friend reached out to me via email. He expressed, “I found your recent brief piece on prayer both uplifting and inspiring, so thank you for that. Whenever I come across statements that resonate with me, I instinctively turn to the Bible, seeking answers to questions like, ‘Where can I find this …
Should Christians Vote?
There is a debate among Christians about voting. Some claim we have a moral responsibility to vote, while others see voting as a purely political act, which Christians should forgo. Those who oppose it will sometimes point to Jesus’ nonviolent lifestyle and his apparent lack of interest in politics, and conclude that somehow, he was “non-political.” I could not disagree …
The Essence of Prayer
The English priest John Chapman is credited with this quote; “Pray as you can, not as you can’t”. His message is clear, bother not yourself with the trivial matters of methods, or how or when, and just pray! We’ve all heard the adage, “Practice makes perfect”. I believe this is especially true with prayer. As we practice the habit of …