There are seven basic categories of spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to the church. Those categories are: leadership, missional, service, sign, encouragement, wisdom, and teaching. The final category of spiritual gifts is the teaching gifts. The teaching gifts are the gifts of prophecy and teaching. All of the spiritual gifts are needful in…
Proverbs 1:7 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Every spiritual gift is given to us by the Holy Spirit as He wills. Though it is not our choice as to what spiritual gifts we have, we should pray for and seek to develop…
“George Truett was a tremendously effective pastor for decades in Texas. His heart was broken when he accidentally killed his best friend while they were on a hunting trip. His daughter said that she never heard him laugh after that day. Truett had a radio program, and each day when it came to a close…
One of the most confusing and controversial subjects in the church is the spiritual gifts of tongues, interpretation, healing, and miracles. These gifts are used to display the mighty power of God and, thus, are referred to as the ‘sign’ gifts. The reason such gifts have become so confusing and controversial is the fact that…
Do you know someone that is always ready to jump to the aid of others? They defend the defenseless and they are quick to offer forgiveness and a fresh start. They make sacrifices to meet the needs of others. They put the needs of others ahead of their own. They love to entertain and to…
As the vehicle through which God carries out His purposes in the world today, the church must be missional. We cannot just simply enjoy the comforts of our sanctuary and cathedrals and bask in the fellowship we enjoy with one another. We must fulfill our purpose as ambassadors of Jesus Christ and bring the Gospel…
Every born-again believer has been called by God to serve His Kingdom through the local church. The scripture is very clear in its pattern that the life and ministry of believers in Christ cannot be separate from the local church. Just as God chose the nation of Israel to be the nation through which the…
After the Lord speaks to Job out of the whirlwind, Job responds to the Lord and experiences a complete restoration. When we have gone through a season of suffering, we need to be restored. God has a way of providing restoration to those who have suffered. In Job chapter 42 we see three things that…
After the back and forth between Job and his friends, God speaks to Job. It is the longing of every true believer to hear God speak. When God speaks, nothing else matters. When God speaks, everything is brought to a stand still. When God speaks, the truth is known. When God speaks, encouragement is given.…
Early on in the book of Job we are introduced to Job’s three friends: Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar. We do not know a lot about these three men other than the fact that they were friends of Job. They hear about Job’s suffering, and they come to visit him. The New American Commentary says, “This…
“After this opened Job his mouth, and cursed his day. And Job spake, and said,Let the day perish wherein I was born,And the night in which it was said, There is a man child conceived.Let that day be darkness;Let not God regard it from above,Neither let the light shine upon it.Let darkness and the shadow…
“And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the…
“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.…
“There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of…
We have already seen how love is a recuring theme in the book of 1 John. We have learned that in order to have a strong fellowship we must love our brothers and sisters in Christ, love not the world, and practice love in action. Once again John writes on the subject of love and…
Pastor Chris Noland 