Look at the Book

Christian generosity grows out of hearts that place their hope in God. When he is the source of our joy now and forever, we are free to radically give.

Those who look to riches to uphold their hopes will be deeply disappointed. Worldly wealth is fleeting and uncertain. Only God can ground our hope.

If you belong to the King of kings and Lord of lords, you are as safe as you could possibly be. No one rivals your God.

Courage does not come from knowing an opponent to be weak. It comes from knowing our God to be strong. God gives us life, and he sustains it.

How do you take hold of eternal life? You have faith in Jesus. You believe in him, hold tight to him, treasure him, and refuse to let him go.

The Christian life is one of fleeing and pursuing: flee anything that does not proceed from faith, and pursue what pleases God.

How can Paul say that the love of money is the root of all evils? Because the kind of heart that loves money abandons faith, and anything not of faith is sin.

Christians can be happy with little — yet we are happy not because we have little but because we have God. He, not minimalism, is our portion.

Those who seek to make godliness a means of monetary gain miss an all-important point: we entered the world with nothing, and we will leave the same way.

Does being a Christian bring benefit in the present life? Absolutely. Peace, contentment, and joy are some of the weighty gains of godliness.

Three primary desires give rise to false teachers: “I want to be well known.” “I want to be preeminent over others.” “I want to amass power by money.”

The New Testament does not abolish the social shell of slavery. But it does transform it so radically that a property-owner relationship becomes unthinkable.

The gospel did not abolish slavery immediately, but it did radically reform the master-slave relationship by making both brothers.

When Paul addresses Christian slaves, he calls them to obey even unbelieving masters. Why?

When discerning whether a man should be an elder, be cautious, testing thoroughly, but don’t be paralyzed by fear of choosing imperfectly.

Sometimes, Christians pit doctors and divine healing against one another, as if relying on natural remedies reveals a lack of faith. Does Scripture support that assumption?

Choosing elders is a serious business. Paul charges us to do so knowing we are in the presence of God, Jesus Christ, and the elect angels.

When accusations arise, Paul would have churches refuse to let elders be destroyed by liars — and refuse to let lying elders destroy sheep.

Paul sees a connection between hardworking pastors and oxen laboring in the field. Both deserve to be rewarded for their work.

Pastors deserve to be paid for their labor. They spend themselves to edify the flock, so the flock should spend to provide for them.

The grace of God is not an excuse for laziness. It gives not only pardon for sin but power for Christ-honoring work.

When Paul instructs Timothy to care for widows in the church, he tells him not to enroll younger widows in the support network. Why?

Older women who are seasoned in service, devoted to good works, chaste, courageous, and humble deserve special honor in the church.

When Paul says that professing believers who do not provide for their relatives deny the faith, what does he mean?

God shows special care for the most destitute among his people, such as widows without living relatives. How might local churches follow his example?