Being born again is possible only through the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus made use of the fact that the Greek word pneuma means both Spirit and wind in order to illustrate the process of conversion (John 3:8). The wind blows; none of us can start it, direct it, nor stop it. Its great … Continue reading –>
A zealous Christian confronted a politician and asked her, Have you been born again? Angry at what she deemed a personal question, the politician replied, It worked the first time, thank you. Maybe it did, but considering our fallen nature, our first birth isn’t enough, at least not for eternal life. For that, we must … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: John 3:1-15; 2 Cor. 5:17; John 15:4-10; Matt. 6:9-13; Luke 9:23-24. Memory Text: Jesus answered and said to him, Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3, NKJV). Nicodemus felt drawn to Christ but dared not visit Him … Continue reading –>
Zho and his wife, Lai, are a young couple who serve as Global Mission pioneers in China. God sent them to serve in a city that had no Adventist believers. The couple rented a house that would work as a house church and began meeting their new neighbors. One day Lai met an old man … Continue reading –>
Further Study: Ellen G. White, Repentance, p. 23-32, in Steps to Christ. We can no more repent without the Spirit of Christ to awaken the conscience than we can be pardoned without Christ. — Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 26. As we behold the Lamb of God upon the cross of Calvary, the … Continue reading –>
When in faith we recognize our need, repent, confess our sins, and claim Christ’s righteousness for ourselves, we become His disciples. During His ministry, Jesus called different people, such as Peter and James and John, to be His disciples, a call that implied leaving everything in order to follow Him (Matt. 4:20, 22; Mark 10:28; … Continue reading –>
His name was Nelson Mandela. He is enshrined in history as a testament to the greater impulses of man. After being imprisoned 27 years of his life, much of it in brutal conditions, Mandela emerged with a message of forgiveness and tolerance. His witness was so compelling that his name has become synonymous with greatness, … Continue reading –>
Jesus sat before the people and uttered what must have been to them shocking words: Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20, NKJV). Few were more scrupulous in the observance of the letter of the law than were the … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : God wants everyone to be saved, and the process of coming to Him is simple and available to all. [Lesson Plan for How to Be Saved July 28, 2014] 1. Have a volunteer read Luke 5:27-32. a. Ask class members to share a thought on what the most important point in this text … Continue reading –>
True repentance goes hand in hand with faith in Jesus as our only Savior. Jesus frequently talked about the need to believe in Him in order to receive His blessings. If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23, NKJV). Faith is essential if we are to be saved. Satan … Continue reading –>
The summer of 2000 was brutally hot in Texas. It was not a good time to be trained in as a UPS delivery driver. I had worked a couple years inside the hub as a sorter, and jumped at the opportunity to become a delivery guy, but being a UPS delivery guy was unlike any … Continue reading –>
Recognizing our sins is not enough; it must be accompanied by repentance. The biblical meaning of repentance includes three aspects: acknowledgment of one’s sin, sorrow for having sinned, and the desire not to sin any more. If one is lacking, there is no true repentance. For example, Judas admitted his sin, but he lacked grief … Continue reading –>
