February 21, 2021 | Romans 12:9–21 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue A popular quote attributed to the 19th-century statesman and philosopher Edmund Burke goes, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” One of the problems with this statement is its vagueness. What exactly are we supposed to do […]
I February 20, 2021 | Romans 12:1–8 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue In her poem entitled “A Christmas Carol,” 19th-century author Christina Rossetti wrote: “What can I give Him, \ Poor as I am? \ If I were a shepherd \ I would bring a lamb, \ If I were a Wise Man \ I would […]
February 19, 2021 | Romans 11:25–36 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue There are many ways we can share the gospel. Some people like to use an outline, a Scripture map, or even a helpful diagram. But evangelism cannot be reduced to a methodology. Paul calls God’s way of drawing people to Himself a “mystery” (v. 25). In […]
February 18, 2021 | Romans 11:1–24 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue When I was a young Christian, I wore a button with the letters PBPGINFWMY on it. The letters stood for the phrase, “Please be patient; God is not finished with me yet.” Paul’s message in this section of Romans is slightly different, more like: “Please […]
February 17, 2021 | Romans 10:1–21 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue When I began attending church in the 1970s, most people wore “Sunday clothes” to the worship service. Men wore suit jackets and neckties, and women wore dresses. Today most people dress much more casually for church. Changes like this can be hard for some to […]
February 16, 2021 | Romans 9:1–33 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue At some point, every parent has heard their child say, “I can do it all by myself.” The determination to do something for ourselves is a necessary stage in our development. But in the spiritual realm, that attitude can be a problem. Those who opposed […]
February 15, 2021 | Romans 8:14–39 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue A famous saying goes, “God plus you is a majority.” It implies that God is on our side and will help us conquer our opposition. As Christians, we know that God is with us. But because those who are in the realm of the flesh […]
February 14, 2021 | Romans 8:1–13 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue The problem of humanity’s inability to keep God’s law was not a New Testament problem. The Old Testament recognized it as well. In Jeremiah 31:33, the Lord delivers this promise: “’This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ […]
February 13, 2021 | Romans 7:15–25 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Many who struggle with addictions have found help by joining a twelve-step program. Developed by Alcoholics Anonymous, the twelve steps begin by having participants admit that they are powerless over their addiction and that their lives have become unmanageable. The key to healing lies in […]
February 12, 2021 | Romans 7:1–14 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue According to voting records, John Cenkner cast ballots in the California elections of 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2010. The only problem was that he died in 2003. For obvious reasons, the dead can’t vote! In Romans 7, Paul uses the concept of death to […]