How to Fail—in Four Simple Lessons
The Christian life is the life of faith, but if we fail here, a shipwreck will occur…as it did to a whole generation of Hebrews. Compared to their failure, the Titanic and the Valdez were minor accidents.
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul wrote that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Christians from the apostles until now have, like Paul, regarded Scripture as central to the life and growth of the Church.
But even though we know its importance to our lives, too often our knowledge and application of Scripture remain minimal. Why? Perhaps sitting down to study the Bible might seem intimidating, or it could just be difficult to carve out some devotional time. Maybe you have questions about the Bible, but you aren’t sure where to look for answers.
Let these tools, articles, audio sermons, and resources help you incorporate the Scriptures more fully into your life.
The Christian life is the life of faith, but if we fail here, a shipwreck will occur…as it did to a whole generation of Hebrews. Compared to their failure, the Titanic and the Valdez were minor accidents.
After 400 years of slavery to build edifices for a pagan king, God miraculously rescued the ancient Hebrews. When Pharaoh threatened to wipe them out at the Red Sea, God miraculously delivered them. It was time to celebrate, not complain.
“He is also head of the body, the church…so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything” (Colossians 1:18). If we were to put this verse into one overriding statement, it would be this: take God very seriously.
The Apostle Paul was an experienced fundraiser. The gifts he received from churches went far beyond meeting physical needs; they were an eternal investment. Another master fundraiser for eternal investments was Moses.
The Hebrews were given God's miraculous protection that encouraged their obedience. God gave them His Law that resulted in their fearing Him. To become generous, God took them through an entirely different and extensive project.
Before our Saviour was born, God set the stage, so Christ could come in “the fullness of time.” So, we shouldn't be surprised that before the exodus from Egypt, God prepared Moses and the people for a life of worship.
Moses—who was getting his travel directions from God—seemed to be taking a roundabout way to get to the ultimate destination. But God has a way of doing the unusual—from our perspective—to accomplish the remarkable.
Can you remember your slavery, when you were unable to free yourself from the bondage of sin? Do you remember when Christ set you free? It was worth the wait, wasn't it? So let the celebration begin!
Put flawed human beings on a pedestal and they are bound to topple, fail, and disappoint, but God’s Word is holy, inerrant, and totally reliable.
In this final message of this series from John’s gospel, Chuck Swindoll concludes with some powerful lessons about the impact of Jesus’ miraculous life and ministry on earth.