Devote Yourself to Prayer

As a pastor, I receive emails from time to time asking me to complete a survey in exchange for a copy of an ebook. I completed one of those surveys this morning. To be honest, I really didn’t like my answers! Today’s survey questions asked about my prayer life: How much time do you spend…

Mutual Submission

A few weeks ago, I commented on a parallel passage that Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:18ff. Today’s Bible reading records Paul’s comments on letting God’s Word rule in our hearts. The results are the same in the two passages, so I would argue that being filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) is the same…

Gnostic Heresy

In today’s Bible reading from Colossians 2, Paul addresses the Gnostic Heresy in Colossae head-on. From Webster, Gnosticism is, “the thought and practice especially of various cults of late pre-Christian and early Christian centuries distinguished by the conviction that matter is evil and that emancipation comes through gnosis (esoteric knowledge of spiritual truth held by…

Not Easily Contented

Paul wasn’t easily satisfied. It wasn’t enough for him to see people come to Jesus. It wasn’t enough for him to see people going to church. Paul knew there was much more to the Christian life than these things. In today’s Bible reading, he tells us that he has prayed — and he will continue…