Study Commentaries

The world is filled with counterfeits. And the church is not immune, as false ideas and doctrines can infect believers and congregations. So when it comes to spiritual teachers, messages, and movements, how can we tell fact from fiction? The answers are found in 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, and Jude, where the apostles provide practical insights for discerning truth.

Observation of true relevancy in life brings one to fear God and keep his commandments.

"Finishing Well" is the name of the game. Here was a rich, young ruler - a first century "yuppie" if you will - who, although getting off to a rather problematic beginning, finished well, indeed. A rich young ruler questioned Christ about what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. Mark's Gospel includes a detail that Matthew and Luke failed to mention: "And Jesus looking upon him loved him..." This hints at the possibility that young John Mark himself may have been that rich young man.

Sinai to Zion is an exciting study of how the Bible uses the Exodus story as the basis for its vision concerning the glorious and triumphant return of Jesus the Messiah. For the first time, this book presents a thorough examination of many often overlooked, yet critically important Old Testament texts that the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament authors looked to as describing the return of Jesus.

MORE THAN A LOVE STORY - YOUR PATHWAY TO HOPE IN TIMES OF CRISIS AND ADVERSITY “Better Than I Dreamed is a transformative journey through the Old Testament Book of Ruth, skillfully weaving biblical wisdom with real-life experiences. The author’s dynamic approach to biblical hermeneutics offers practical ways for believers to reshape their thinking and embrace enduring hope. A must-read for anyone seeking faith, growth, and a future better than imagined.” Rev. Dr. Owen Wilson Education Officer & Pastor Fairview Open Bible Church In Better Than I Dreamed, bestselling author C. Ruth ...

One of the best ways to understand the Bible is to read it as a whole from the beginning to the end. The stories in the Bible are not disconnected. They form one story. Your Sunday school teacher was wrong. She couldn't connect the storyline of the Bible. What she didn't do, this book steps in as a guide. In this book, H.K. Holland walks you through all the 66 books showing you how they are all connected and lead to one person, Jesus Christ.

Have we been taught to discount the veracity and deeper meaning of our emotional resonance with the world around us? In The Abolition of Man, C.S. Lewis looks at the curriculum of the English "prep school" and begins to wonder if this subliminal teaching has indeed produced a generation who discount such a nature.

How to pray, how to serve, how to overcome, how to love: Jesus taught the disciples these timeless lessons through hands-on experience and powerful parables that resonated in the hearts of multitudes. Most evident in John 13-21, however, is Christ's teaching on the transforming power of joy—how to have it, hold onto it, and never let it go.

I and II Kings provide a record of Israel's history from the beginning of the movement to place Solomon on David's throne through the end of the reign of Zedekiah, Judah's last king. There are great lessons to be learned from Israel's desire to be "like those around us" and its consequences.

"Latino" is the most open-ended and loosely defined of the major race categories in the United States. Our Migrant Souls: A Meditation on Race and the Meanings and Myths of "Latino" assembles the Pulitzer Prize winner Héctor Tobar's personal experiences as the son of Guatemalan immigrants and the stories told to him by his Latinx students to offer a spirited rebuke to racist ideas about Latino people.

Over the past several decades, globalization has homogenized what we eat, and done so ruthlessly. The numbers are stark: Of the roughly 6,000 different plants once consumed by human beings, only nine remain major staples today. Just three of these - rice, wheat, and corn - now provide 50 percent of all our calories. Dig deeper and the trends are more worrisome still.

Immerse yourself in the transformative power of God's Word with Devotional Commentary on the Amplified Bible's Unique Interpretations. This inspiring devotional journey explores key scriptures through the lens of the Amplified Bible, offering deep insights into the life-changing truths of Scripture. Each chapter unpacks the amplified meanings of God's Word, helping you to fully grasp the richness of His promises, His love, and His call on your life.

In recent years, the theological—and, more specifically, Roman Catholic—question of the supernatural has made an astonishing return from seeming oblivion. David Bentley Hart's You Are Gods presents a series of meditations on the vexed theological question of the relation of nature and supernature. In its merely controversial aspect, the book is intended most directly as a rejection of a certain Thomistic construal of that relation, as well as an argument in favor of a model of nature and supernature at once more Eastern and patristic.

Perhaps of all the books in the New Testament, James most squarely focuses on results. His pull-no-punches approach to spiritual maturity, his preference for action over words, makes his text the perfect backdrop for a study of how to grow in our faith. Beloved author and teacher Warren Wiersbe leads you through this practical book with advice on how to overcome temptation, controlling the tongue, effective prayer, and how to practice what the Bible teaches.

For most of human history the world was a magical and enchanted place ruled by forces beyond our understanding. The rise of science and Descartes's division of mind from world made materialism our ruling paradigm, in the process asking whether our own consciousness—i.e., souls—might be illusions. Now the inexorable rise of technology, with artificial intelligences that surpass our comprehension and control, and the spread of digital metaphors for self-understanding, the core questions of existence urgently require rethinking.

After the Rapture, the opportunity to live in heaven will be over. Those left behind may be thirsty for a comprehensive book that helps guide them through the Tribulation and into the kingdom on earth so they may have eternal life. They will need someone who understands the book of Hebrews to help them know what God said. “All scripture is profitable” (2 Timothy 3:16). This book teaches how to apply “rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). Reading this book will also profit the body of Christ and give us a greater appreciation of God’s prophecy and of the mystery ...

It is certainly true today that the "Do Nothings" outnumber "The Company of the Concerned," which in part explains why society is so confused and frightened. It's time for God's people to be concerned! Meet some concerned believers who made a difference in their time and who show you how to make a difference in your time.

Part of Dr. Warren W. Wiersbe’s best-selling “BE” commentary series, BE Compassionate has now been updated with study questions and a new introduction by Ken Baugh. A respected pastor and Bible teacher, Dr. Wiersbe explores the compassionate life of Jesus. Filled with moving examples of Christ’s ministry to people of all backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs, this study will inspire you to share His love with the world around you.

A theological exposition of the Complete New Testament Gospel according to Mark. The selected biblical passages are organized into eight sequential Bible studies that are each appropriate for about one hour of small-group discussion or about 30 minutes of personal devotion. This book can also serve as a resource in a two-month in-depth study of Mark, utilizing one passage per week. The passages are presented with an emphasis on the history and context of the writings, and its application both in the early church and in the church today. Table of Contents ...

In this classic book, Madeleine L’Engle addresses the questions, What makes art Christian? What does it mean to be a Christian artist? What is the relationship between faith and art? Through L’Engle’s beautiful and insightful essay, listeners will find themselves called to what the author views as the prime tasks of an artist: to listen, to remain aware, and to respond to creation through one’s own art.