August 7, 2025
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (John 1:1-2 NASB95)
These opening words of the gospel of John have been thought of by many as an overture that beautifully introduces the coming symphony. These words frame how we are to see and understand the rest of John’s gospel. With the phrase, “In the beginning,” John calls to mind the opening words of Genesis which tells us about God’s creation of the universe. Here in John’s gospel, we will be told of a new creation which God is bringing about through the Word. “In the beginning was the Word.” The Word already existed in the beginning. John wants us to know that the Word is not a created being but existed from all eternity.
“The Word was with God.” Not only did the word exist from the beginning, but He existed in the closest possible fellowship with God, so much so that it can be said, “The Word was God.” John is not saying that the Word had some divine qualities, but that the Word “is fully God.” (NET) The Word, in His essence, was fully deity, just as God the Father is. Or we might say, what God is, the Word is.
Who is the Word that John speaks of? We find that answer in verse fourteen which says, “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NASB95) As this sentence indicates, and the rest of the gospel shows us, the Word is Jesus Christ. And so, we learn this profound truth: Jesus is God. He is God the Son. Everything that God is, Jesus is. As the author of Hebrews says of Jesus, “And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power…” (Hebrews 1:3 NASB95)
God has expressed Himself to mankind through the Word. God has revealed to us who He is by sending His Son Jesus to “tabernacle” among us. Jesus is the exact representation of God’s nature. When we look at the glory of Jesus, we see the glory of God. And Jesus, as I write, is upholding all things by the word of His power.
Given all of this, what an amazing thought it is that God in the flesh came down to die for us. Through the death of God the Son, those of us who have received Him have received eternal life. We have become children of God. We have been born again as a new creation. Let us praise God for this amazing truth.
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
June 10, 2025
In this dry and weary land in which we live, in this world of noise and stress, we often need renewal in our inner being. Where do you turn when your soul needs to be refreshed? I like how the old hymn we sing puts it: “But when my soul needs manna from above, where could I go but to the Lord?”1 There is a great truth here. Only the Lord can renew and restore our souls. There is no other true source of inner renewal.
David knew this truth. Listen to his words in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:1-3 NASB95) The word “restore” here can mean that God brings our soul back when we stray from Him, as a shepherd brings back a wandering sheep. It can also mean that God brings back liveliness and vitality to our inner being2. Biblically speaking, both senses are true and certainly needed.
Listen to the words of David in Psalm 63: “O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” (Psalm 63:1 NASB95) David found himself in a dry and weary land, both literally and figuratively speaking. I’m sure we have felt the same at times. The world we live in can be harsh and dry and can sap the vitality right out of us. But we, like David, can find refreshment from God. As David ponders the power, the glory, and the love of God in this Psalm, and as he turns to worship God, he exclaims, “My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.” (Psalm 63:5 NASB95) David found deep, inner satisfaction from contemplating God and His goodness.
In Psalm 19:7, David writes, “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul…” (Psalm 19:7 NASB95) The word of God can restore our soul. It can bring us back to the right path when we stray. It can reach into our hearts and give us an inner liveliness again.
Where do you turn when your soul needs renewal? Where could we go but to the Lord? As we worship God today and hear His word, may He grant renewal for our souls!
—Scott Colvin
- “Where Could I Go?” Lyrics by J.B. Coats
- Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (HALOT)
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Posted by Scott Colvin
May 20, 2025
In Psalm 25, David makes a plea to God, asking Him to be his teacher. “Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.” (Psalm 25:4–5 NASB95) Have you ever asked God to be your teacher? I’m convinced that God will be pleased to hear this prayer from us and to answer it. But who is it that the Lord will teach?
God will teach those who wait for Him. To wait on God is to rely on Him. It is to set your hope on Him and expect that He will answer you. God is looking at us to see if we trust Him and Him alone. He is pleased to help those who wait on Him.
Who will God teach? It is the one who is humble. “He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way.” (Psalm 25:9, NASB95) In order to be taught, we must be teachable. This is the essence of humility—being teachable. The humble person does not think too highly of themselves or their own knowledge, and therefore they are ready and willing to receive wisdom from God. If we begin to believe that we have arrived or that we already know everything, we should not expect to receive any additional insight from God. But God is pleased to teach the humble in His way.
Who will God teach? It is the one who fears Him. “Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.” (Psalm 25:12 NASB95) The person who fears the Lord stands in awe of who He is. They recognize His power, His wisdom, and His holiness. The one who fears the Lord will be diligent to stay away from the path of sin because they have a healthy dread of displeasing Him. The one who fears the Lord opens the word of God and trembles at what he reads. It is this person that God will instruct in the way he should choose.
Have you asked God to be your teacher? Think of the wonderful blessings that will be ours if God Himself teaches us His paths and makes us to know His ways. Let us ask God to teach us and let us also prepare our hearts to receive His teaching.
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
May 20, 2025
Timothy became a traveling companion and assistant on Paul’s second missionary journey. Timothy had a good reputation with the church, and he proved to be a valuable worker. Timothy is mentioned with Paul as a sender in 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, and Philemon. He worked in Berea, Macedonia, Corinth, Thessalonica, and Ephesus. He accompanied Paul on his final trip to Jerusalem, and Hebrews mentions his release from prison (Hebrews 13:23). But we gain a personal insight into Timothy’s life, when Paul wrote: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well” (2 Timothy 1:5, ESV). Timothy owed a spiritual debt to his mother and grandmother.
Eunice and Lois were not a perfect mother and grandmother. Why did Eunice marry a Gentile? Was that a good spiritual decision given the instructions of the Law? Were they grieved when Timothy’s eighth day of life passed without a circumcision as the Law commanded (Acts 16:3)? Yet, maybe that can be reassuring to us. We can have a positive spiritual impact having made some bad decisions in our life. Few of us would volunteer ourselves as models of perfect parenthood. The past is past. We must live for God today, and that is what Eunice and Lois did.
Eunice and Lois had a sincere faith. Faith is more than having your name on a church membership role or occupying a pew on Sunday morning. Faith must be lived in daily life. Our devotional life must overflow from the assembly into family and private devotions. Our moral life must be demonstrated on how we treat real people and not what lessons have we heard. If we have strong faith, it is more likely that our children will have strong faith. If we have moderate faith, our children may see the inconsistencies and have weaker faith. If we have weak faith, our children may have no faith. We can’t pass along what we don’t have. The greatest gift we can give our children is being people of sincere faith.
Eunice and Lois nurtured faith in Timothy. Paul reminded Timothy of his past: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:14-15, ESV ). We can imagine Timothy taught Bible stories from his earliest years. We can imagine spiritual insights shared in daily life at those teachable moments.
Timothy owed a spiritual debt to his mother and grandmother. Lois and Eunice had a spiritual legacy because of their sincere faith and faithful instruction.
Mothers are important to us in many ways, but a spiritual legacy is the greatest gift of all. Happy Mother’s Day!
—Russ Holden
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Posted by Scott Colvin
May 9, 2025
Unresolved guilt can be a terrible force of destruction in our lives. We have all had a guilty conscience at one time or another. We have all felt that knot in our stomach or faced a restless night because we have done wrong. These are not pleasant feelings, but generally speaking, the feeling of guilt is necessary. Our conscience creates guilt within us when we know we have done wrong, and this is a blessing! Guilt is a signal to us that we need to confess our sin to God, turn from the path we are on, and seek forgiveness. Thank God for a good conscience that warns us and calls us back to the right path.
But sometimes, people who have long ago been forgiven by God are still living their lives being pressed down with a heavy weight of guilt and shame. If our conscience hasn’t been fully convicted of God’s forgiveness, many serious problems will result. A Christian who has been forgiven but doesn’t know it or believe it, can struggle with anxiety and depression. They can struggle with feeling distant from God because they believe He is continually disappointed in them and frowning at them. And so, they stay away from God. They may stay away from God’s people, or feel very uncomfortable around them, thinking things like, “If these people really knew who I am, they wouldn’t accept me.” These kinds of feelings are very harmful for spiritual health and growth.
How can we overcome these feelings of unwarranted guilt? We have to understand the nature of God and learn to trust in His forgiveness. Listen to these words of David,
“The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:8-12 NAS95)
Do you realize the nature of God? He is compassionate! He is gracious! He abounds in love! He will not stay angry forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins. No, He is gracious and forgiving. Understanding these things about God will help us to trust in His forgiveness.
Do you realize the completeness of His forgiveness? His love for His children is immeasurable, and as such, the completeness of His forgiveness is immeasurable. He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. When God forgives you, He will never remember your sins against you again! They are gone forever.
You and I have found complete forgiveness in Jesus Christ. Let’s not let the sins of our past haunt us and weigh us down anymore. If God has forgiven them, they are forgiven and forgotten forever! And when we sin, let us confess our sins, turn back to the light, and trust that the blood of Jesus keeps us continually cleansed in His sight! (1 John 1:9)
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Posted by Scott Colvin
May 9, 2025
Everyone wants to live “the good life,” but what does that mean? Many think the good life is being wealthy, living in comfort, or retiring early. Some think the good life is one of partying and fun. Some may think it is found in a very successful career. How would you define the good life? And how can you obtain it?
Listen to these inspired words of David:
“Do you want to really live? Would you love to live a long, happy life?
Then make sure you don’t speak evil words or use deceptive speech.
Turn away from evil and do what is right. Strive for peace and promote it.” (Psalm 34:12-14 NET)
So, how can we really live? First, we must control our speech. We need to choose to not speak evil. Evil words include things like gossip and slander. It would include words that are spoken in a fit of anger that wound another person. Things like these can make our lives miserable (by our own doing) and rob us of the good life. We must also choose to not speak words that are deceitful. Lying or misleading people with our words brings much trouble and sorrow. On the other hand, using words that are filled with love, with truth, and encouragement will not only bless those around us, but will bring God’s blessings into our lives.
Second, to really live, we must turn away from evil. We live in a world that is full of evil. You and I must choose not to participate in deeds of darkness, and we must strive to not let it influence us or our families. But it is not enough to turn away from evil. We need to also do what is right. We face the choice to do right or wrong on a daily basis. If you want to really live, choose what is right! Then the rich blessings of God will flow into your life.
Finally, to really live, we need to strive for peace and promote it. How does one promote peace? By being humble toward others, by speaking with gentleness and grace, by being patient with others, and by forgiving those who have wronged us—just as the Lord forgave us. We promote peace by refusing to keep a record of wrongs and by choosing to not harbor resentment and bitterness toward others. When we fail to pursue peace, we will bring a lot of sorrow into our own lives. But if we will follow the way of peace, we will be richly blessed. Those who sow peace will reap its beautiful fruit.
How might we summarize these instructions? Live like Christ. Reflect His love. Those who do will find true life!
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
May 2, 2025
Our faith and our salvation are built upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The historical fact of His resurrection cannot be over emphasized. There is no way in which we could speak of it too often, for it is the critical component to everything we believe. As Paul writes to the church at Corinth (who were doubting the resurrection of the dead), “But if there is no resurrection from the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain… and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:13-14, 17-19 NASB95) Without the resurrection of Christ, our faith is meaningless, we are still in our sins, and we have no hope for the future.
But the fact is, “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20, NASB95) This is the glorious fact! Jesus was raised! There are many powerful and convincing proofs of this fact. There are many eyewitness accounts of this fact. We can be assured that His resurrection is real, and our faith can rest solidly in this reality. And because He is alive, we too are alive! Because He is risen, we have been raised with Him and seated with Him in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 2:6) Because He is risen, we are now dead to sin and alive to God. Because He is risen, one day we too will be raised with a glorious new body. Because He is risen, we have hope of seeing our loved ones who have died in the Lord again.
Jesus is alive! And we have been made alive with Him! Shouldn’t this truth have a major impact on our lives? How should we now live? As Paul writes, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3 NASB95). We should now continue to seek the things above, setting our mind on heavenly things rather than earthly things.
How should we now live? We should continue to put to death our earthly ways. (Colossians 3:5) Immorality, greed, anger, slander, lying, and the like should all be rooted out of our lives with the help of God’s Spirit.
How should we now live? By putting on the qualities of the resurrected life: Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love. (Colossians 3:12-14)
Let’s rejoice on this day! Jesus is alive, and we live with Him! Let us now walk as those who are alive from the dead!
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
April 22, 2025
People sometimes wonder, “If we are New Testament Christians, what is the purpose of studying the Old Testament?” Many of you are currently reading the Old Testament as part of your regular Bible reading, and you may be wondering the same thing. The truth is, there are many wonderful reasons to study the Old Testament today. We will be blessed by it because it is the word of God and contains timeless truth that we need to know and remember. As Paul wrote to the church in Rome, “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4 NASB95) Paul also wrote to Timothy about the value of all Scripture. “… from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:15-16 NASB95) The sacred writings that Paul refers to, that Timothy would have known since he was a boy, are the Old Testament Scriptures.
And so, we see that the Old Testament was written for our instruction. It was written to give us perseverance and encouragement. It was written to give us wisdom, to teach us, reprove us, correct us, and train us in righteousness. As we read the Old Testament, we learn valuable lessons to help us in our daily lives—lessons about obedience to God, trust in God, and how to treat our fellow man.
When we read the Old Testament, we get a clear picture of the holiness of God. We see His hatred of sin. We can come away with a reverent fear of our God who is “a consuming fire.” We need to know these things about God!
When we read the Old Testament, we also get a clear picture of God’s patience, His grace, and His love for mankind. We see God’s desire to bless His people and do good to them. We see His patience as His people turn away from Him again and again with stiff necks and hard hearts. And yet, God is patient. God is kind. He gives people opportunities to come back to Him, and even when He punishes His people, He gives them hope of a restored relationship with Him in the future.
The Old Testament leads us to Jesus. It shows us the depth of our sinfulness and our need for God to rescue us. It clearly shows us our inability to live up to God’s standard of holiness and righteousness. Throughout the pages of the Old Testament, we see God working in the affairs of this world to bring about a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Old Testament contains ancient words, ever true, that came from the mouth of God. We will be blessed if we study it!
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
April 22, 2025
In Ezekiel chapter 36, God reminds His people how they had strayed very far from Him. The house of Israel had defiled the land by their ways (36:17). They had shed blood in the land and worshiped idols (36:18). They had profaned the name of God (36:20). In short, the nation of Israel was rebellious and disobedient to God, and He punished them severely (36:18-19).
But despite all of their disobedience, we also see the grace and mercy of God toward His people. Later in the same chapter we read, “For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” (Ezekiel 36:24–27 NASB95)
What a wonderful promise that there was coming a time when God would cleanse His people, give them a new heart, and put His Spirit within them. They had hearts of stone—hearts that were stubborn, unresponsive, and unrepentant. But He would give them a heart of flesh—hearts that were tender, humble, and open to hearing His voice. God promised to put His Spirit within them. While the Holy Spirit was always around in Old Testament times (and from all eternity), this was something new! This was something powerful! For through His Spirit, God would cause His people to walk in His ways. He was going to change their hearts and empower their obedience!
Of course, you and I live in that promised time. God has placed His Spirit within us. God has given us new hearts. God is molding and shaping us within our inner being. That means you and I can obey God from the heart. Our obedience to Him goes far beyond a mere code of rules and regulations. Our obedience comes from a changed heart and is empowered by the Spirit of God.
And this means that there is hope for you and me if we are struggling with sin. We must be diligent to hear and obey the voice of God, but as we do so, let’s realize that we have divine help! Let us trust in God’s promise to change our hearts, and let us rely on God’s power that works within us through His Spirit.
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
April 17, 2025
Do you know God? I don’t mean do you know about God. Knowing about Him is certainly important, but I am asking, do you know God in a personal way? Do you have a relationship with Him?
One might wonder whether it is even possible to know God personally, but the scriptures assure us that yes, we can know Him. Not only that, but the scriptures tell us that God wants us to know Him in this way. A personal knowledge of God is the greatest thing any of us can pursue.
How do we know that we know God? Is it merely a feeling or a wish that we have, or is there more to it? Thankfully, the scriptures are very clear on this question. Listen to these indicators about who knows God from the letter of 1 John.
The one who knows God is the one who keeps His commandments. “By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;” (1 John 2:3-4 NASB95) When we walk in God’s ways, according to His commandments, we come to know Him in greater ways.
The one who knows God does not walk in sin. “No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.” (1 John 3:6 NASB95). We cannot say we know God if we are practicing sin in our lives. Ongoing sin will destroy our relationship with Him.
The one who knows God is the one who walks in love. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8 NASB95) If we want to truly know God, we have to walk in His nature and character. God is love, and so if we want to know Him, we must live a life of love. Those who practice the love of God will truly come to know Him in a profound and personal way.
May God help each one of us to come to know Him in greater ways. Let’s keep His commandments. Let’s not practice sin. Let’s walk in His love.
—Scott Colvin
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Posted by Scott Colvin
while today 