What does the Apostle James mean when he says, "The Prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up?" Does this verse support the existence of faith healers? Is it a promise that strong Christians will never need hospitals and health clinics? Stephen gives us some much-needed insight.
Consider Job. He wrestled with doubt, depression, and frustration with God, yet he didn't fall into the trap of blaming God like we so often do. So what was his secret? What kept him faithful even in the midst of intense suffering? The Apostle James tells us.
When you think of the word "endurance," what comes to your mind? A marathon? A battlefield? A hospital room? When the Apostle James wrote about endurance, he thought of a farm. Stephen tells us why.
Have you ever had someone apologize to you and you knew they weren't sorry? On the other hand, have you ever had someone apologize to you and you knew they were sorry? What was the difference between the two confessions? What made one real and the other false? Stephen gives us the answer from Scripture.
Have you ever had someone apologize to you and you knew they weren't sorry? On the other hand, have you ever had someone apologize to you and you knew they were sorry? What was the difference between the two confessions? What made one real and the other false? Stephen gives us the answer from Scripture.
If you want to please God then be good as He is good. Be a good employee, a good boss, a good parent, a good student, a good mechanic, a good doctor. In this message Stephen challenges us to demonstrate to a lost world that God doesn't just save lives . . . He changes them as well.
We could argue about the value of hobbies, movies, sports, and the newspaper, and never get anywhere! But what about the time these things demand and the influence they exert on us? Is it any wonder that the average Christian knows more about the world than he or she does about the Word? In this message Stephen challenges us get back to the Bible!
Zerubbabel built the temple of God, but Ezra built the people of God. He led them out of spiritual darkness into the light of spiritual truth. And as we prop this puzzle picture in front of us today, we'll discover how it can help us rebuild our own spiritual lives too.
Looking at the 21st Century American Church, what would you say is missing? What is the one thing we're getting wrong today? Stephen tells us in this message.
The book of Romans has been considered by many scholars and theologians throughout the ages to be the magnum opus of all Paul's letters--as well as the pillar of Christian doctrine and practice. So in this message Stephen reveals to us why this book is not only essential for Christians . . . it is essential for Christianity.
When Paul says in Romans 1:16 that the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, did you know that the Greek word he uses for 'power' in that passage is translated 'dynamite' in English?! Paul is saying that the Gospel isn't just power . . . its explosive power! And he watched it explode in the lives of thousands of men and women throughout his ministry. So if you're feeling weak or ineffective today in your own outreach, this is a message you don't want to miss.
Have you ever witnessed a riot in the parking lot of your church or been threatened by an angry mob of civilians? For us, that would be extreme persecution. For Hudson Taylor, that was just another day at the office!
Hudson Taylor was a 19th century Protestant Christian missionary who is known for his work in China. He was born in England in 1832 and grew up in a devout Christian household. After a conversion experience at the age of 17, he felt called to serve as a missionary and spent much of his life working to spread the Gospel in China.
Taylor was the founder of the China Inland Mission, an organization that focused on sharing the Gospel with people in China. He faced numerous challenges and setbacks throughout his ministry, including persecution, illness, and financial difficulties, but he remained dedicated to his work and deeply loved by those he served.
Taylor is perhaps best known for his innovative approach to missionary work, which included living among the Chinese people, wearing traditional Chinese clothing, and learning the Chinese language and culture. He believed that by adopting these practices, he could more effectively share the Gospel with the Chinese people and demonstrate the love of Jesus to them.
Throughout his life, Taylor remained deeply committed to his faith and his calling to serve others. He is remembered as a courageous and selfless missionary who dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel and serving others. His legacy lives on through the many lives he touched and the ongoing work of missionaries in China and around the world.
The relationship between faith and works has proved a confusing issue for centuries. But it didn't just begin in the protestant reformation under Martin Luther. No. It began during the time of the Apostles. So let's listen in now as Stephen takes us back to Romans 1:5 to discover not only why True Faith Works . . . but how it works.