Thursday, October 31, 2013 Halloween brings out some pretty silly ideas about the devil—red cape, horns and tail, pitchfork. But none of that has anything to do with biblical teaching about the devil. Honestly, the biblical story is a lot scarier. The Bible tells us that the devil was created
Continue readingWe all have a stubborn side. The right kind of stubbornness can be good. But the wrong kind can darken our souls, cutting us off from life, peace, maturity, and hope. The New Testament letter to the Hebrews helps us find the right ways to channel that stubborn impulse. We
Continue readingEvery fall and spring at Calvary East, we take a break from our 9 a.m. adult Sunday school class to offer smaller group studies that we call Growth Groups. This fall we are offering a group for men and a group for women. Both studies are based upon books, but
Continue readingSunday, September 22, 2013 There was a time in history when warfare seems to have been relatively simple and straightforward. Your enemies were those lined up on the opposite side of a field wearing a different colored uniform. But modern combat situations are not so simple. Soldiers can easily find
Continue readingSunday, September 17, 2013 In October, release-time Bible classes will begin for our local public elementary schools throughout the Kalamazoo area. These classes are taught by Paul Spotts of RBM Ministries. With permission from students’ parents, Paul is able to bus children to a nearby church once a month during
Continue readingSunday, September 15, 2013 I fear that a lot of us are one-third Christians. By that I mean that we only use a third of the Bible. The New Testament is familiar territory, but we don’t quite know what to do with most of the Old Testament. That’s where the
Continue readingSunday, August 25, 2013 As we begin our study of Hebrews, I plan to start using the English Standard Version in our worship services. Many people are confused about why there are so many different Bible translations. Each translation reflects the attempt of one group of scholars at a particular
Continue readingWe all have a mystical side. We want to experience something deep, spiritual, even supernatural. Some seek it in nature or the occult, while others look to traditional religions. But the opening chapters of the New Testament letter to the Hebrews point us to something better than mystical experience. On
Continue readingWe all have a mystical side. We want to experience something deep, spiritual, even supernatural. Some seek it in nature or the occult, while others look to traditional religions. But the opening chapters of the New Testament letter to the Hebrews point us to something better than mystical experience. On
Continue readingSunday, August 18, 2013 Check it or carry it on? Many airlines now charge for checking bags, so a lot of people carry them onboard—banging down the center aisle, knocking into people as they heft them up into the overhead bin, or cramming them into the already cramped confines of
Continue reading
