Giving Peter Credit
Posted by Philip Strong | Categories: Faith, Growth, Trust, Matthew
The story of Jesus walking on the water has been a favorite of folks young and old for centuries. It baffles the mind and bolsters the imagination. But it seems to me that we've failed to give Peter enough credit for his part of this narrative. We tend to only remember his sinking due to what the Lord called, "little faith." But Peter deserves better credit than that!
Desiring a Better County
Posted by Philip Strong | Categories: Faith, Salvation, Hebrews
Hebrews 11:1 defines faith; v.6 further explains it; and pretty much the rest of the chapter provides examples of faith. But in a couple of places, such as vv.13,39, it is emphasized that these men and women of faith died without receiving the promised reward of faith. The reason is simple: the reward of faith is the spiritual reward of heaven, not a physical reward that can be obtained while in the flesh. But what is emphasized in the text is that these people understood this concept because they were seeking a better country! This lesson examines, from the specific text of Hebrews 11:13-16, what enabled them to be so faithful.
Blessed with Abraham
Posted by Philip Strong | Categories: Faith, Salvation, Romans
In Romans 4, Abraham's faith is "reckoned" by God as righteous. This lesson explains what that means, and considers how blessed it is to be "blessed" along with Abraham.
Faith to Move Mountains
Posted by Philip Strong | Categories: Faith, Matthew
This is not a lesson on performing miracles- by faith or otherwise. Neither is this an outline of a motivational speech designed to inspire the notion that with sufficient faith, one can accomplish anything. It is a PowerPoint lesson designed to show what Matthew 17:20 means in context, and what it means to Christians today.
The Moral Dilemma
Posted by Philip Strong | Categories: Faith, Genesis
That's probably a poor title to describe this Word file outline. The lesson is taken from Genesis 1 & 2, and centers around two inter-related questions: 1) Why did God created man? and, 2) Why did God create man as He did? It is not nearly as deep and philosophical as it perhaps sounds, but does provide some well-reasoned and scripturally sound answers to these important questions.
The Importance of Words
Posted by Philip Strong | Categories: Faith, Genesis, 1 Corinthians, Hebrews
The English language (which we don’t speak here in America, and especially not here in Texas where either “Amurhican” or “Texican” is the native tongue) is difficult, complex, cumbersome and frustrating, and yet can be wonderfully precise if one really knows how to use it. Although I work at the task, I fear my efforts often fall woefully short.
“Double, Double Toil and Trouble”
Posted by Philip Strong | Categories: Commitment, Faith, Fidelity, 1 Peter
The title is taken from the chant of the three witches as they stir the cauldron in Act IV, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.” The rest of the line is “Double, double, toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.” I’m certainly not advocating Bill Shakespeare’s fictitious concept of witches and cauldrons producing problems in our lives, but do you ever feel as if you’ve received more than your share of difficulties? Or to switch metaphors, that “Murphy’s Law” was written about you? Does it seem as if anything possibly could go wrong, it does? Then perhaps this lesson will help.
Sarah’s Faith and Beauty
Posted by Philip Strong | Categories: Faith, Obedience, Genesis, Hebrews, 1 Peter
Perhaps a better title for this lesson would be "Sarah's Faith which produced her Submission and Beauty." But that title surely wouldn't fit on the CD, despite probably being a better description of the lesson.
Spiritual “Tunnel Vision”
Posted by Philip Strong | Categories: Faith, Obedience, Salvation, Numbers, John, Romans, James
What is commonly called “Tunnel Vision” is more specifically “Kalnienk Vision.” The condition refers to a restriction of one’s field of vision, but with the retention of central vision; i.e. as if looking through a tunnel. Though it can have many different causes, the most common culprit is the consistent restriction of the field of vision, which causes the eyes to be “trained” to only focus on the specific area in which one is looking. For instance, if you looked through a periscope for long periods of time, or wore a welding helmet, diving mask, or something else which only allowed you to see the area or objects immediately in front of you, tunnel vision could easily occur. The result would be that you would only be able to “see” those things at which you specifically looked or directed your attention. It is a dangerous condition physically, but can be spiritually devastating.
Walking Circumspectly: Squirrels, Snakes, and Boards
Posted by Philip Strong | Categories: Choices, Commitment, Faith, Ephesians
Ephesians 5:15(KJV), “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise…” I’m not a big fan of the King James Version of the Bible. My preference away from it has more to do with its antiquated language than perceived inaccuracies of translation. But in this particular verse (and a few others also for different reasons), I actually prefer it over the more modern-language versions because of its use of the word circumspectly. None of the other major translations utilize this particular word; they instead generally use words which convey the idea of “walking carefully”- which is OK, I guess, but not as good as it could be. Let me explain further...