Ankeny Free Church

True strength is not what most people think it is. Proverbs 24 makes clear that real strength is rooted in wisdom, not force or violence. While human nature is drawn to power and retaliation, those paths lead to destruction rather than lasting fruit. Wisdom builds what violence never can, and it multiplies through counsel and community. Strength is not meant to serve our own pride or comfort. It i...

Proverbs 26:1-12 offers a vivid and practical picture of what biblical foolishness looks like and how to respond to it wisely. A fool is not simply someone who makes mistakes but someone who repeatedly refuses to learn or change. Giving a fool honor, responsibility, or unchallenged influence causes real damage to everyone around them. Even truth in the hands of a fool can become harmful rather tha...

Every person begins on the same side of a divide: death. The only way to cross over to life is through faith in Jesus Christ, and that confidence is not a guess but a promise rooted in Him alone. Eternity is not just a future reality. It has real implications for how we live today, what we chase, what we fear, and what we value. The Bible is clear that two destinations await every person, heaven a...

Understanding our salvation is crucial, and Isaiah 52:13-53:12 provides deep insights into the work of Christ. Jesus, exalted and divine, was rejected by many but took on our griefs and sorrows, bearing the punishment we deserved. His death and subsequent vindication fulfilled God's purpose of salvation, emphasizing that our hope rests solely in Christ's work, not our own efforts. https:...

Everyone carries some form of identification, but many Christians are still living from their old, expired identity instead of their new one in Christ. According to Colossians 3, when you belong to Christ, your old self has died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. This means putting to death earthly sins like sexual immorality, greed, anger, and lying while putting on Christ-like chara...

A healthy church is more than a building or weekly gathering - it's a living body of believers united under Christ's authority. The universal church represents all believers globally, while the local church is an organized assembly in a specific location. Unity is given by God but must be maintained through intentionality, humility, and prioritizing Christ above personal preferences. Eve...

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity who makes Christ's work real in our lives. Through the Spirit, believers are freed from condemnation and become God's temple where He dwells. We are adopted as God's children with direct access to our heavenly Father. The Spirit produces His fruit in us - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and...

The Apostle Paul presents Timothy as a powerful example of gospel transformation in Philippians 2:19-24. While humans naturally seek their own interests from birth, the gospel doesn't just make us better people - it makes us entirely new. Timothy demonstrates four marks of Christ-like character: genuine concern for others' welfare, proven character tested over time, formation through god...

In a world of competing priorities, it's easy to build our lives on good things like career success, parenting, or moral behavior that ultimately leave us empty. The mystery of godliness isn't about religious performance but about Jesus Christ himself as our foundation. Paul's creedal statement in 1 Timothy 3:16 reveals three truths: Christ was revealed as fully God and fully man, w...

Understanding what it means to be human requires looking beyond scientific materialism and popular culture to God's Word. Scripture reveals three essential aspects of our condition: we are created in God's image as His representatives on earth, fallen through sin that affects every part of our being, and gloriously redeemed through Christ's amazing grace. This truth means all people...

The Bible stands as a uniquely reliable collection of 66 books written over 1,600 years by 40 authors across three continents. Unlike a game of telephone, Scripture was carefully preserved like a treasure through divine inspiration and meticulous copying. The manuscript evidence is overwhelming, with over 26,000 New Testament fragments compared to just 1,900 for Homer's works. While difficult...

God's love is fundamentally different from human love because it flows from His perfect, eternal nature rather than from need or circumstance. Unlike the flawed gods of mythology, our God exists in perfect unity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, complete and blessed before creation. Ephesians 1 reveals five aspects of this divine love: we receive every spiritual blessing, adoption as God'...

In a world where we often make God small and people big, we need to recalibrate our understanding of who God truly is. Understanding God's transcendence through three key attributes helps us find stability and hope in overwhelming circumstances. God's aseity means He is self-existent and needs nothing, unlike everything else that has an origin story. His blessedness refers to His perfect...

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the foundation of Christianity that changes everything about our faith and lives. Without it, Christianity becomes empty religious practice, but with it, we have proof that Jesus has power over death itself. We were spiritually dead in our sins, unable to save ourselves, but through Christ's resurrection, God offers us new life as a gift of grace. This isn&...

Good Friday marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, a day of profound physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering. Jesus endured brutal beatings, flogging with a cat-of-nine-tails, and the excruciating pain of crucifixion - a death by asphyxiation that required pushing against nailed wounds to breathe. Beyond the physical torture, He experienced betrayal from His closest disciples, an unjust trial...

Palm Sunday reveals Jesus as a different kind of king than people expected - one who came to connect us to God through His sacrifice rather than provide political deliverance. Psalm 118, sung during Passover, shows us what makes God unique: His perfect goodness and unending love that never fails. Unlike everything else in this world that becomes tainted by evil, God remains completely good and His...

Paul addresses the problem of idleness in the Thessalonian church, where some believers chose not to work despite being able. Work is part of bearing God's image and shouldn't be separated from our faith. Paul modeled hard work even though he had the right to receive support, showing that work ethic is often caught from others. The gospel transforms us from takers to givers, from those w...

Our hearts often lead us in circles, chasing relationships, success, and happiness that ultimately disappoint. The problem is our souls are divided among many desires instead of being anchored in one governing desire—the Lord himself. When our hearts are scattered like a stream cut into many channels, we lose sight of what truly matters. God wants to direct our hearts to his steadfast love and Chr...

In times of global uncertainty and chaos, it's easy to feel anxious about the future and wonder if we're living in the end times. However, Scripture teaches that our security doesn't come from our own goodness or efforts, but from God's choice to set us apart as His beloved people. Paul contrasts those who refuse truth with those chosen by God for salvation and sanctification....

Christians hold different views about biblical end times, including amillennialism, premillennialism, and postmillennialism. Each perspective interprets key passages like Matthew 24 and Revelation 20 differently. When believers die, their souls go to paradise while awaiting the resurrection of their bodies at Christ's return. Unbelievers experience conscious torment in Hades before final judg...

The study of end times can feel overwhelming, but understanding different perspectives helps us grasp what Scripture teaches about Christ's return. All Christians agree on foundational truths: Christ will return bodily and visibly, there will be final judgment and resurrection, and God will create new heavens and earth. The four major views are amillennialism (we're currently in the mill...

In a world filled with false teachings and spiritual deception, believers must remain grounded in biblical truth. Paul warned the Thessalonians about false claims regarding the end times, which caused fear and confusion among believers. Throughout history, deceptive movements have emerged through claimed revelations that add to or distort Scripture. Paul describes a future time when deception will...

Life can feel overwhelming, making it difficult to stay motivated for faithful living. The apostle Paul provides four powerful motivations rooted in God's work rather than our circumstances. First, we belong to the triune God through Christ's sacrifice, giving us an identity worth representing well. Second, we can recognize God's visible growth and faithfulness in our lives by remem...

Many Christians today question whether they truly need church community, preferring to consume spiritual content independently. However, examining 1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 reveals that God designed His people to grow together in holiness through committed church relationships. Paul outlines four essential ingredients for healthy church life: proper leadership that provides oversight and instruction...

Death brings uncertainty and fear, but Paul's letter to the Thessalonians offers profound hope for believers. Christians who die are described as being asleep temporarily, remaining with Christ even in death. When Jesus returns, the dead in Christ will rise first, followed by living believers being caught up to meet Him in the air. This means believers are always with the Lord, whether in lif...