Articles
You cannot break the Ten Commandments—they will break you
By Pete Campbell
Most are familiar with Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 version of The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner. But few have probably seen DeMille's first take on this Biblical story. It is wholly unique compared to all the various takes on the Exodus that Hollywood has produced over the years….
Overcome Sexual Temptation with Beauty
By Steve DeWitt
The key phrase here is, “put to death the deeds of the body.” The Greek word for put to death is used 11 times in the New Testament, 9 for actually killing people.[1] One example is Stephen, the first martyr, who was put to death. Same word. This is not a nice word. This is a bloody word. A word of execution. It simply means, kill it.
Killing Sin by the Spirit
By Steve DeWitt
The key phrase here is, “put to death the deeds of the body.” The Greek word for put to death is used 11 times in the New Testament, 9 for actually killing people.[1] One example is Stephen, the first martyr, who was put to death. Same word. This is not a nice word. This is a bloody word. A word of execution. It simply means, kill it.
Multiply Thyself
By Steve DeWitt
Timothy’s mother was Jewish, his father was a Greek. Immediately, Timothy looks like an unlikely candidate for someone to multiply into. First, his parents’ marriage was outside Old Testament law. In that day, to minister the gospel to Jews meant that you had to be in basic compliance with Old Testament law. Timothy had not been circumcised and the fact that he had a Greek father was common knowledge. Further, he was the son of a woman who married a Gentile.
The Spirit Empowers us for Gospel Witness
By Steve DeWitt
Jesus’ disciples were filled with the Spirit at Pentecost. (Acts 2:4) Peter was filled with the Spirit in his response to the Jewish leaders. (Acts 4:8) In Acts 4:31, after prayer, the disciples were filled with the Spirit and emboldened in their witness, “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” And Paul was filled with the Spirit prior to speaking against Sergius. (Acts 13:9)
Is Grace Permission to Sin?
By Steve DeWitt
There is a word used to describe people who take the position that the Christian has no responsibility to obedience yet remains under the grace of God.
Antinomian = Anti (No) Nomos (Law)
Nobody thinks they are antinomian. There are no antinomian societies. Nobody introduces themselves as an antinomian: Hi, I’m Bob, I’m an antinomian. Everybody presents themselves as champions of grace. Their books have grace in the name. They sing Amazing Grace with gusto. The issue is whether obedience or sanctification are necessary byproducts of genuine saving faith….
The Key to Spiritual Gifts: Use Them!
By Steve DeWitt
Christian, hear this, you have at least one Spirit-granted, God-empowered gifting. God’s gifts are God’s call, which means he has a purpose for every one of us. This means every member of the church is critically important and the diversity of gifts tells us that no one person is too important. Pastor Steve, then what should I do?
“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them.” (Romans 12:6, emphasis added)
Seeing God Best
Written by: Joy Kats
When we are able to do things by our own strength, we often don’t look to God for help. Our weaknesses are what drive us to the strength of Christ. I was recently challenged to consider this phrase: “When life is at its worst, God is at His best.” And that is not untrue…but God is ALWAYS at His best, no matter what life looks like for us. Sometimes it takes life being at its worst for us to see God best.
And let’s face it, these last several weeks have been among the worst in our lifetime throughout the world. None of us has ever known anything like what is happening right now. But in all the chaos, in all the changes, in all the social-distancing we continue to have to do, God has never distanced Himself from us…
Steve DeWitt: Responding to COVID-19
Dear Friends
I am writing to you in these tumultuous times. The coronavirus is dominating the news, the stock market, the government, and our community. Over the past two weeks, this has been largely a debate about whether the virus was going to hit the US or not, and if so, how severe. While this continues to be debated, what isn’t debatable is that it is here, and now it is a question of severity of impact.