March 31, 2026
A common and serious threat to our faith is allowing ourselves to be moved away from confidence in the word of God. There are many people out there—even people who seem like believers—who plant doubts in others about the reliability and authority of scripture. Statements are made such as, “The Bible is not entirely the word of God, but also the word of man.” Or “The Bible is a good book, but it’s just a collection of wise sayings of men.” Or even, “The Bible is a nice guide, but it can’t be fully relied upon because it is full of contradictions.” When Christians begin to believe these things, they crack open the door to all kinds of damaging falsehoods that can lead them away from God. These kinds of falsehoods about the word of God will lead to picking and choosing what parts of scripture we want to believe. It will lead to reliance on our own very fallible thinking. It will lead to an acceptance of the philosophies of man and a turning away from the truth of God. People’s faith is destroyed. Sadly, I’ve seen it happen many times.
I want to remind you and encourage you with this. The Bible is the word of God. And as such, it is reliable and authoritative as a guide for our lives and for the practice of our faith. There is much external evidence (evidence outside of the Bible itself) to convince us of this fact—evidence we can discuss at some other time. But there is also the internal evidence—the testimony of the writers of scripture themselves. What did they say about their own writings?
The apostle Paul claimed that the things he received, he received from the Spirit of God. He tells the church in Corinth that the hidden wisdom of God was revealed to Him by the Holy Spirit, and that it is the words of the Spirit that he speaks and writes. Speaking of himself and the other apostles, Paul says, “For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God… which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit…” (1 Corinthians 2:11, 13 NASB95). You see, the words Paul spoke were not of human origin, they were words taught by the Spirit!
The apostle Peter says something similar in the letter of 2 Peter. “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:20-21)
The words of scripture are the words of God. They came from the mind of God. They flowed from the mouth of God. We can and should trust this. Let us take the God-breathed words of scripture and hold them fast. Don’t let the uninformed or unbelieving move you away from this vital truth! —Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
March 17, 2026
When it is said that the church today should be more like the first century church, most people aren’t referring to the church at Corinth. The church there had some very serious issues. They were divided over their favorite preachers. There was jealousy and strife among them. Some were bringing lawsuits against their own brethren. Some arrogantly stood by while a man in the congregation had an ongoing incestuous relationship with his father’s wife. Some acted unlovingly toward one another. Some made a mockery of the Lord’s Supper with their unloving attitudes. Some of them even questioned the reality of a bodily resurrection. This is quite a list!
What would you say about a congregation with so many serious issues? Would you see them as brethren? Would you associate with them?
What does the Lord say about them?
This may be a little bit shocking to our ears, but listen to the inspired words of Paul about the Corinthians: “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours…” (1 Corinthians 1:2 NASB95)Listen to the words Paul uses to describe who these people are. They have been sanctified (set apart, made holy) in Jesus. They are saints (holy ones)! They are a part of the universal church who call on the name of the Lord Jesus!
Paul goes on to describe not only who they are, but also what their future holds, reminding them that the Lord Jesus Christ “will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:8-9) Jesus will confirm and establish them. They will stand before the Lord blameless!
In these words, we have a beautiful reminder about why the Corinthians, or you or I, or anyone else, can be in right standing with God. It is because of Jesus Christ! It is because of what He did! It is because God called us through the gospel into a relationship with Him! The blood of Jesus is what has sanctified us, not our own goodness. Not our knowledge. Not our doctrinal purity. Not our morality. None of these is what brought us into right standing with God. Everything is because of Christ!
Are we saying that the Corinthian brethren didn’t need to repent? Are we saying that they could defiantly go on in their sinful ways and still be right with God? Of course not! The promises are for those who are walking in faith. As one author put it, “We’re not talking about open decadents, but struggling penitents.”1 For such people—people like you and me—we can be assured that God will be faithful to His promises to sanctify us, establish us, and make us able to stand in His presence without blame.
—Scott Colvin
1. Jim McGuiggan, 1 Corinthians.
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Posted by Scott Colvin
February 24, 2026
“I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:1-2 NASB95)
Paul was quickly nearing the end of his life when he penned these words to the young preacher, Timothy. He lays before Timothy a very solemn charge in the strongest possible terms about a matter of extraordinary importance. It is a charge in the presence of God. It is a charge in the presence of Christ, the judge of the living and the dead. It is a charge by the appearing of Christ and by His kingdom. What is the charge? Preach the word! Preach the word when it is popular and when it isn’t. Preach the word whether people want to hear it or not. Preach the word to both correct and to encourage. Preach the word patiently to instruct those who hear.
Those who preach and teach today have the same charge, and there is a great need in the church for biblical preaching and teaching. Why is it so important? Because it is the word of God that breathes life into us. It is the word of God that will renew our minds and transform us with the Spirit’s help. There is nothing else in the world that can do that. When we faithfully preach the word, we are hearing the voice of God! What an amazing thought that we have the words of God Himself handed down to us. And what a tragedy it is when the word of God is not proclaimed! When the church is not fed with the word, spiritual malnourishment quickly begins to set in.
I remind myself of this often, and ask myself: what is biblical preaching and teaching? What is it not? I have observed over the years that there is a type of preaching that seems biblical at first glance but is not very biblical at all. This type of preaching (and teaching) gives a nod to the word of God and then goes its own way. It is a type of preaching that only uses the Bible to prove what we think we already know. There is very little actual listening to God. There is very little dealing with the text and wrestling with its meaning. The listeners can come away with a good feeling that “God agrees with us,” but we never carefully listened to what God had to say. Instead, we passed over the scripture like a stone skipping over the water—touching upon it here and there but never getting into its wonderful depths.
To those who preach and teach among us: let us heed the solemn charge of God. Preach the word! To all of us who assemble to hear the word of God proclaimed: cherish the word and take it into your heart! May God bless us all in this endeavor.
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
February 17, 2026
Do you love Jesus? I mean really love Him? It is of utmost importance that we develop a true love for Jesus, because loving Him is the key to a deeper, more satisfying, more obedient spiritual life. Here is what I mean: Jesus said to His apostles in John 14, “…If anyone loves me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him” (John 14:23 NASB95). What tremendous promises flow from loving Jesus! Loving Jesus leads us to obeying Jesus. Loving Jesus leads to receiving a special love from the Father Himself. Loving Jesus leads to the Father and Son coming into us to live within us. But it all starts with love!
Let us examine the first part of Jesus’ statement: “If anyone loves me, he will keep My word.” Notice that love comes first and obedience is the result. If we love Him, then we will obey Him.
And don’t we have every reason to love Jesus? We love Jesus because of what He has done. It was Jesus who loved us first. It was Jesus who sought us out while we were yet sinners. It was Jesus who gave His life for us when we had nothing to offer Him in return. His death on our behalf was the ultimate expression of love for us. Not only this, but we love Jesus because of who He is. We marvel at His power, His grace, His humility, His compassion. As we think of these attributes of Jesus, how could we not love Him?
And what does it mean to love Him? It may be helpful to think about what it means to love the special people in your life. We delight in the people we love. We are drawn to them because of their qualities. We want to be near to them. In a similar way, to love Jesus is to cherish Him for who He is, to delight in Him, and to desire a close relationship with Him.
And this kind of love for Jesus is the key to living a life of obedience. Think about this: the next time you are faced with temptation, think about your love for Jesus. Say to Him, “Lord, I will turn away from my sinful desires because I love you so much.” Say to yourself, “How could I hurt my Lord Jesus by continuing in this sin?” Our love for Him is a powerful motivator to keep walking with Him.
Today, let us reflect on all the many reasons we have for loving Jesus. May our love for Him control every aspect of our lives and empower a willing, joyful obedience to Him that comes from the heart.
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
February 11, 2026
“Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.” (John 14:1 NASB95)
Jesus’ disciples were extremely troubled. Jesus had just dropped three bombshells on them: 1) One of their group is going to betray Jesus, 2) Peter, a leader among the group, is going to deny Jesus three times, and 3) Jesus, the one for whom they gave up everything, will be leaving them. It is in this context that Jesus speaks these tender words to them: “Do not let your heart be troubled.”
Sometimes our hearts are greatly troubled, too. We face difficulties, tragedies, and sorrows at times in this life that deeply shake us. And yet, I think we too should hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Don’t let your heart be troubled.” How is that even possible?
Jesus gives us the answer to a troubled heart. Believe in God! Believe also in Me! Trust in God is the remedy for a troubled heart! But many times (more times than I care to count) I hear the people of God say something like this, “Don’t tell me to just trust in God!” Or “Telling me to trust in God is not really helping anything!” Are we really hearing the words of the Master?
Let me offer some suggestions that may help us understand how trust in God will help us. I need to hear these reminders, too. We need to realize that trust in God is not just saying words. No, the kind of trust that will help us is an active, intentional trust in Him. How can we develop that kind of trust? First, we need to take the time, often, to really reflect on the promises God has made to us. Do you believe that you are forgiven? That you have a home in heaven reserved for you? That God will provide everything you need if you will seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness? The list goes on and on. Do you believe His promises? Second, we need to spend some serious time reflecting on all the ways God has blessed us and all the ways that He has helped us in the past. Counting our blessings will help us to trust Him more. Third, we need to meditate on God’s love for us and His nearness to us. God has said that He will never leave us and never forsake us. Finally, with these things in mind, we need to look to Him with confidence in times of trouble. Don’t look to yourself. Don’t look at your problems. Don’t dwell on your fears. Look at God! Trust Him and Him alone!
Trust is the remedy for a troubled heart. May we all learn to trust God and Jesus Christ more deeply.
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
January 6, 2026
Jesus gave a powerful object lesson to His disciples just before He went to the cross. During supper, Jesus wrapped Himself in a towel, poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and wiped them with the towel with which He was girded (John 13:4-5). But when Jesus came to Peter, he vigorously protested and said, “Never shall you wash my feet!” (John 13:8a NASB95)
Some commentators frown upon Peter’s response and imply that in this moment, he was displaying a false humility that was masking a deep spiritual arrogance. I don’t think that is the case at all. I think I know exactly where Peter was coming from. Washing feet was the job of a slave! Jesus is no servant! He is the Master, the Lord, the Teacher! I think that if I had been there, I would have said the same thing as Peter: “Lord, never, ever will I let you wash my feet!” I might have said, “Lord, give me the basin and I will do it myself!” What about you? Would you have let Jesus wash your feet?
Listen to Jesus’ response to Peter: “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me” (John 13:8b). You see, the foot washing wasn’t just about clean feet or ancient hospitality customs. There was something deeper that Jesus was trying to teach. Of course, Jesus was not saying, “Peter if you have dirty feet, you and I can have no fellowship.”
What He was saying is this, “Peter, if I don’t cleanse your heart and soul, you can have no fellowship with Me.”
What are the lessons for us? We cannot cleanse ourselves of sin. Sin has left a crimson stain that we cannot wash away, no matter how hard we try. Cleansing can only come if we humbly submit to Jesus’ washing. We must humbly and gratefully accept His supreme act of service on our behalf—His death on the cross. If we’re not willing to let Him wash us, we cannot be a part of Him.
I cannot help but think of baptism when I read this story. Baptism was the moment in time at which we humbly submitted to Jesus and let Him cleanse us with His shed blood. Have you submitted to Him in this way? Will you let Jesus wash you and keep you continually cleansed?
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
November 18, 2025
“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was” (John 11:5-6 NASB95).
Have you ever been in a very difficult situation and wondered, “Why hasn’t God helped me yet?” Have you ever thought, “If God loves me, why won’t He act?” I believe the above verses can shed some light on these kinds of honest questions. These words were written about the illness of Jesus’ beloved friend, Lazarus. When Lazarus became ill, his sisters, Mary and Martha, sent word to Jesus. But when Jesus received the news, He waited for two days before leaving for Judea. Why did Jesus delay?
One reason was because Jesus knew that He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, and in raising Lazarus, both God and the Son would be glorified (John 11:4). This great miracle was also going to create faith in the disciples and in others who witnessed the miracle (John 11:15, 45).
But there is another reason, related to the first, why Jesus delayed. He waited because He loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Notice the flow of the verses: Jesus loved them, so (or therefore) He stayed two days longer. One might think the verse would read, “Jesus loved them, and so as soon as He heard about Lazarus, He left immediately to help.” But such is not the case. It was because of His love for them that He stayed. He stayed so that they could see the glory of God. He stayed so that their faith could be built up in a profound way.
There is a deep lesson here for us: Jesus’ love is demonstrated to us not by taking all our problems away, but by letting us see His glory in the midst of our problems. Mary and Martha got to witness the glory of God in one of the darkest times of their lives, and it built their faith. What about you and me? Is there anything Jesus could do that is more loving than letting us see His glory?
If you are going through difficulties in life, know that Jesus cares deeply for you. He loves you. Our pain deeply moves Him (John 11:33). Let us never doubt His great love for us, even when we’re wondering why He has delayed. It may be that, in times of difficulty, He is helping us to see His glory more clearly. May God help us to see it!
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
November 14, 2025
What is the fate of this present world? One day, this world and all of its works will pass away. As Peter writes, “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10 NASB95). God is going to bring the present order of things to an end. Just as He destroyed the earth in the days of Noah by water, so also one day He will destroy the heavens and the earth with fire.
While we weep at the certain fate of those who have rejected Christ on that day, you and I who are in Christ can also look forward with anticipation to that day. Why? Because God has promised that He will create new heavens and a new earth. “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13).
What will the new heavens and earth be like? Revelation chapters 21 and 22 give us some insights into this:
- It will be a place where God Himself will live among us (21:3)
- There will be no death there (21:4)
- There will be no mourning, crying, or pain (21:4)
- There will be no need of the sun or the moon there because God will illumine it, and Jesus will be its lamp (21:23)
- There will be no night there (21:25)
- There will be no sin there (21:27)
- The river of the water of life will be there (22:1)
- The tree of life will be there (22:2)
- We will see God’s face there (22:4)
- We will reign forever with God there (22:5)
In short, the new heavens and new earth will be a place of great beauty. It will be like Eden once again, where man walked and talked with God in unbroken fellowship.
Don’t you want to go to that land? How can we dwell there forever? We must have our names written in Jesus’ book of life (Revelation 21:27). Have you come to Jesus, in faith, in the way He has commanded, so that your name will be written there? And if you have come to Him, let us continue in Him. As Peter wrote, “Therefore, beloved since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless…” (2 Peter 3:14). Are you being diligent in your walk with Him? May God help us to continue in faith so that we can see that land He has promised to His children.
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
November 11, 2025
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27-28 NASB95)
Jesus’ sheep hear His voice. This plain statement of Jesus has caused me to reflect on my own preaching and teaching, and I hope it will stir reflection in all among us who proclaim the word of God. What can we learn from Jesus’ words?
First, we should not be surprised or disappointed if some do not respond when we faithfully proclaim the words of Jesus. This very thing happened to Jesus Himself. He said to the Jews who would not accept Him, “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep” (John 10:26). There will always be people in the world who simply do not care to hear or learn from God (John 6:45). They are not Jesus’ sheep; therefore, they do not respond to His voice.
Second, we should never modify or water down the words of Jesus in any way in order to bring more people in. There are many in the religious world who do just that. Many will try to make the words of Jesus more exciting, more entertaining, and more in line with modern-day thinking. The message may be softened in order to get more people in the pews. This is a very serious error that injures both the saved and the lost. It injures the saved, who are already a part of Jesus’ flock, because they want to hear the voice of Jesus in every sermon and in every class. They long to hear His voice! They will follow His voice! If we don’t let the flock hear the clear and powerful voice of the Great Shepherd, we are doing enormous harm to the church. But modifying the message does great harm to the lost, as well. There are people in the world who are searching for God, who want to hear the truth, and will respond very positively to the voice of Jesus (the blind man of John 9 is a perfect example of this). But if we do not give these people the clear, unadulterated words of Jesus, how will they become a part of his flock? We might think that we’re doing a good thing by softening the message and making it more “entertaining,” but in the end, what have we done? We’ve kept the seekers from hearing the voice of Jesus (to which they would have responded) and offered a watered-down gospel to those who will reject Jesus anyway. But if we preach Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2), if Christ’s word resonates from our pulpit and our classrooms, then we can really help both the saved and the lost.
Jesus’ sheep hear His voice. May it always be said of this church body that the word of Jesus is boldly and clearly proclaimed!
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
November 4, 2025
“And Jesus said, ‘For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind” (John 9:39 NASB95).
Why did Jesus come into this world? It was for judgement. But how can this be reconciled with Jesus’ earlier statement in John chapter 3? Jesus said to Nicodemus, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:17). Jesus did not come to earth with the goal of condemning mankind. No, He came to save. He came to offer eternal life. Nevertheless, the words of Jesus, which embody truth and light, will by their very nature create a separation. In John 9:39, Jesus uses the word “judgement” not in the sense of condemnation, but in the sense of separation based on the response of people to His word. Some, when they hear the words of Jesus, will come into the light, but some will reject His word and go farther into the darkness. This type of judgement is unavoidable.
And what is the judgment? That those who do not see may see. Who are those who do not see in this passage? It is those who have been in darkness but who long for the light. It is those who recognize their spiritual poverty but hunger and thirst for righteousness. It is those who recognize their spiritual ignorance and their need for God. It is those who, like the tax collector of Luke 18, beat their breast and cry out to God, “Be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). It is people like this to whom Jesus will grant sight!
But on the other side of this separation are those “who see.” Jesus came that those who see may become blind. Who are those who see? It is those who are like the Pharisees. It is those who are self-righteous. It is those who think they already know all the answers. It is those who think they already have their lives together. It is those who are impressed with their own spiritual performance. It is those who are so sure that they already see. Jesus says it is these who will become blind because they will reject Christ and His word. It is those who say, “we see” who will remain in their sins (John 9:41).
In all of this, there is encouragement and warning for you and me. On which side of the divide will you fall? Will Jesus grant you sight? It all depends on our willingness to recognize our spiritual need and to humbly listen to the words of Jesus.
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Posted by Scott Colvin
while today 