Scripture Applied

What laws should civil rulers govern by? Since every law of God is “holy . . . just and good” (Rom. 7:12), this must be their standard. And how should they apply them? Scripture gives us three divisions of the law: (1) ceremonial laws, which were fulfilled in Christ; (2) judicial laws, which were tied to Israel’s civil life and expired with the Old Covenant; and (3) the moral law...

Congregational singing is an act of love toward God, one another, the unbeliever, and our own soul. This is no accident, as God made our body as a musical instrument to express love—not through a lyre or trumpet, but through our voice and mouth. Singing together, as a congregation, harmonizes the church. It ’ s like a symphony with the blending of strings, percussion, and woodwinds. Th...

Men! Are you killing your hours with games and mindless entertainment—or are you taking dominion? The truth is this: God did not make you to be passive spectators. He created men to build, protect, and rule under His authority. The Bible calls this the Dominion Mandate (Gen. 1:28). While wives are to help their husbands in this calling, men, being the stronger vessel, are to take the lead. A...

What if the very trial you’re begging God to take away is the very trial He’s using to build greater character and hope in your spiritual walk? That’s actually what the Bible teaches—“we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;  and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom. 5:3-4). In God’s hands, tribulation is neve...

When it comes to our salvation, it’s easy to glory in how God saved us and forget that faith without works is dead. As Christians, we must go from believing to doing—to put our faith into practice. This is Paul’s message in Romans. After explaining the rich doctrine of salvation (chap. 1-11), he then shows believers how to live (chap. 12-16).     And what should ou...

In today’s world, dishonoring authorities is the normal thing. Mockery is entertainment. Wherever you look, authority is questioned and rejected, without shame. But God calls His people to create a culture of honor, even when parents, pastors, and civil authorities—whom we’re called to honor—are dishonorable. This doesn’t mean ignoring their sin or enabling abuse. But...

What do you have right now, as a Christian, that ’ s not dependent on your feelings or day-to-day life? You have peace with God because you’ve been justified by faith. This peace is not some kind of emotional high or spiritual calm that you experience. It ’ s solid and unchangeable. It ’ s an objective and unshakable peace — secured by Christ —that can ’ t...

There’s a kind of woman who foils the plans of the Devil. This kind of woman doesn’t need a stage, applause, or a social media platform. But when she rises in the morning, hell trembles because she knows who she is. She is, as Solomon said, “Fair as the moon, clear as the sun, [and] awesome as an army with banners” (Song of Sol. 6:10). She is hope at sunrise, bringing light...

Parents—your home is not a democracy. It’s God’s appointed training ground for you to teach your children how to honor their father and mother, “the first commandment with [a] promise” (Eph. 6:2). So, examine your home life. Is it marked by children who reject authority, whine, roll their eyes, and ignore your wishes? Are they slow to obey, which is disobedience? It r...

We live in a child-centered culture where emotions are enthroned, and parents are expected to seek approval from their children instead of leading them with their God-given authority. This isn't compassion— it's confusion—and it is hurting our homes and harming the rising generation. The key to turning this around is for parents to disrupt the idolatry of self in the family and uphold...

Dishonor makes people nomadic – in churches, marriages, friendships, jobs. It makes them keep looking for a better deal. However, Biblical honor is the missing ingredient in broken relationships. But, we live in a dishonorable age where people say and post whatever they want, children talk back to their parents, leave churches, job hop. This flies in the face of God’s direct command th...

The most terrifying thing the Devil sees is not a woman in the boardroom, on a political stage, or behind a podcast mic. It’s a woman in the home raising her children in the fear of God, loving her husband, and building the next generation by faith. This is exactly what feminism hates. Instead of enhancing femininity, feminism obliterates it. So, here's the question, sisters: Has the boa con...

Every church has an aroma about it. So, what your church’s: Is it a lingering scent of bitterness or indifference—or the aroma of love? In Romans 12:10, Paul gives us a blueprint on how to cultivate the latter, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love.” This reveals that the church is not to function like a social club or a business meeting, but like a fam...

In a world that celebrates what God hates, how do Christians live a life that pleases God? Romans 12:9 gives a clear roadmap on how to answer this question: “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” These three commands tell us is that love is not blind; biblical love hates evil—it clings like glue to what is good. So, are there things in your li...

In Romans 12:9, Paul gives this pivotal statement: “Let love be without hypocrisy.” This is a call for our love to be genuine. Hypocrisy, by contrast, is saying nice things when we don’t mean it, or doing good deeds just to get something in return. This sin problem extends to all our relationships, even within the church. So how do we know if our love is hypocritical? 1 John 3:20...

The church is not a spectator sport. It is intentionally personal and requires every member to use their spiritual gifts to build each other up. The secret to this life together is our personal union with Christ. Close intimacy with Him is what leads to a thriving, loving, and relational church. This underground spring gives us inner strength and wisdom which flows forth and blesses others. So put...

What should your attitude be about the local church? It should be to humbly acknowledge that you’re just one part of the body of Christ, and that you’re dependent on the other parts to function well. Consider the fact that there are 200 different types of cells in the human body—and all need each other, working together, for the body to thrive. So it is with the church. Even the...

  A superior culture in a local church starts with humility. When members have a lowliness of mind—rather than thinking more highly of themselves then they ought (Rom. 12:3)—church body life is transformed, which builds up the oldest to the youngest. It was this virtue that ended the Māori tribe’s Utu culture of revenge, spreading literacy and transforming social structures...

What kind of father are you? Are you actively engaged or checked out? Consider this study in contrasts. In 1692, the Salem Witch Trials wreaked havoc on a community because of a passive father and pastor named Samuel Parris. Sadly, this checked out dad allowed a Caribbean slave girl named Tituba to influence his daughters by having séances in their basements and gossiping about local town m...

Who’s qualified to lead the church? According to Scripture, it’s men who manage their households well (1 Tim. 3:4-5). The truth is, the family is the factory for church leaders. Family life toughens, equips, humbles, and prepares a man to lead the church. It’s like a nursery—a production center that makes him capable of leading a local body of believers. A man whose childre...

What is shaping you and where are you headed? To properly answer these questions, you must grasp the two paths that confront every man, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2). So what drives your affections at the core—God or the world? Do you...

Men, by nature, are builders. They build companies and families, and they’re called and gifted by God to build His church, following Christ’s perfect lead as the God-man (Matt. 16:18). Rather than take a passive, minimalist approach to the church, men are to position themselves to have a maximalist impact in building up their local church bodies. This requires creating margin in their...

Moms, by God’s grace, can win the hearts of their sons and raise them to be strong in the Lord. This was true of Timothy, whose mother Eunice and grandmother Lois carefully guided him in the Scriptures from an early age (2 Tim. 1:3-5; 3:14-15). If you’re a mom with a son, recognize that you’re raising a future leader—a boy who will one day become a man who exercises authori...

If you’re married, don’t be hard to live with, causing needless wear and tear on your spouse. This happens when you’re unforgiving (Col. 3:13), impatient (1 Cor. 13:4), or unmerciful (Rom. 1:31); and when you’re unkind and use harsh or rash words. Instead, be easy to live with, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit, which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, fai...

Throughout Scripture, God tells His people to sing, and as we raise our children, we’re to teach them to joyfully obey this command. Here are (8) tips to aid you in this effort. First, sing from the little ones all the way to the older ones. Second, don’t let your children mumble their way through the songs. Third, teach them to open their mouths to project their voices. Fourth, show t...