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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evil, good, peace, Psalm 34:12-14, the tongue | Tagged: Advice for a good life, Bible, Christianity, faith, God, How to have a good life, Jesus, Living the good life, Psalm 34 | 
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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
Leave a Comment » | 1 Corinthians 15:13-19, 1 Corinthians 15:20, Colossians 3:1 | Tagged: 1 Corinthians 15, Bible, Colossians 3, easter, hope, Jesus, new life, resurrection, resurrection of Jesus, the resurrected life | Permalink
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
Leave a Comment » | 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Old Testament, Romans 15:4, why read the Old Testament | Tagged: Bible, Christianity, God's grace in the Old Testament, God's Holiness in the Old Testament, God's patience in the Old Testament, Why study the Old Testament? | Permalink
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
Leave a Comment » | 1 John 2:3-4, 1 John 3:6, 1 John 4:7-8, knowledge of God, love, obedience | Tagged: Bible, faith, God is love, How can I know God?, Knowing God | Permalink
Posted by Scott Colvin
January 22, 2025
“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NASB95)
The word of God is alive and powerful. In the above verse, we see that the word of God will go to work in anyone who: 1) receives the word, 2) accepts it as the words of God and not man, and 3) believes the word. What exactly will the word of God do within us? It will transform us. It will enlighten us. It will strengthen us. It will comfort us. What blessings await us if we will diligently take the word of God into our hearts and unite it with faith!
Given all of this, isn’t it true that there is nothing more important for us to do than to infuse the word of God into our home life? Won’t the word of God work powerfully within our spouses and children? Won’t it bring blessings to our families? Won’t it set our children onto the best path in life?
I want to encourage you to spend time in the word with your family. One of the best and simplest ways to do this is to listen to the word together. This is something that my own family has started to do in a more systematic way. We gather in the living room after dinner for 15-20 minutes (most evenings) and listen to the word via a Bible app. We do have a goal of reading through the Bible this year, but that is not the main goal. Our main goal is this: to fill our minds with God’s word on a regular basis so that He can work in us.
We hope to make this a lasting family tradition. I encourage you to start a similar tradition with your family, if you haven’t already. I know it will be time well spent, and it will create fond memories for everyone. I believe your children will enjoy it, and you will enjoy hearing their questions about God. You can and should tailor this to your own needs: perhaps you want to take turns reading aloud instead of using an app; perhaps your children would benefit from shorter or longer readings; perhaps you would like to start with the New Testament only. Do what will work best for your family. If you miss some evenings here and there, don’t fret about it. Don’t give up. The goal is not sticking exactly to the schedule, but to be in the word regularly, together.
May God bless us and work in us as we take in His holy word.
—Scott Colvin
Leave a Comment » | 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Bible, Bible reading, Bible study, daily Bible reading | Tagged: 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Bible, God working in us, God's word works within us, The word of God | Permalink
Posted by Scott Colvin
January 9, 2025
I would like to encourage each of us to be Bible readers in 2025. In a world where there are always things eagerly competing for our attention (many of them good things), it is important to commit ourselves to hearing the voice of God clearly and often. There is nothing more important that we could do.
The word of God is eternal. “Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:7-8 NAS95) When we pick up the word of God, we hold the eternal in our hands. When we read the word of God and reflect on it, we fill our minds and hearts with everlasting truth.
The word of God is transformative. If we will give ourselves to hearing and heeding the word, it will change us (as God allows). Sometimes it causes in us a radical, immediate change, and other times it molds and shapes us steadily over time as the words take root in our hearts.
Don’t you want this in your life? Is something holding you back from regular Bible reading?
Setting a reading schedule is a great idea, but don’t get overly focused on the schedule. What I mean is, if you have determined to read every day, don’t get discouraged and quit if you miss a day (or a few of them). Just start back up again. Reading at a pace slower than we intended is infinitely better than not reading at all. And don’t get discouraged if you come upon sections of scripture that you don’t understand right away. You are reading the words of God—some things are going to be hard to understand. Also, don’t be deterred from reading because you feel overwhelmed at the thought of reading the entire Bible. If you struggle with this, why not determine to read the New Testament? Or the Psalms? Or one chapter of Proverbs each day for a month? Or perhaps you could choose a book of the Bible and get into it very deeply by slowly meditating on every word.
And in all of our reading, allow me to encourage you to not see it as a checklist to accomplish each day. It is much more than that. It is an encounter with the Living God. It is time spent in the heart of God. It is building a relationship with Him. Let me also encourage you, as you read, to ask the Lord to be your teacher. Let us pray as David did, “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 NAS95) May God lead each of us in His truth and teach us His ways.
—Scott Colvin
Leave a Comment » | Bible reading, daily Bible reading, Isaiah 40:7-8, Psalm 25:4-5, regular Bible reading | Tagged: Bible, Bible in a year, Christianity, daily Bible reading, New year's resolutions, spiritual disciplines, Spiritual transformation | Permalink
Posted by Scott Colvin
December 3, 2024
Why did Jesus speak in parables? This is a good question and one that the disciples of Jesus also pondered. “The disciples came and said to Him, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?” (Matthew 13:10 NASB95) Jesus’ answer is very interesting. “Jesus answered them, ‘To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.’” (Matthew 13:11-12 NASB95) Luke reports Jesus’ answer in this way: “…To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.” (Luke 8:10 NASB95)
Most people think that Jesus spoke in parables in order to make things clearer for the listeners. This is only part of the reason. It is true that the parables help us, as disciples of Jesus, to more clearly understand and retain His teaching. When we think about the parable of the sower, or the parable of the talents, or the parable of the prodigal son, we immediately remember the deep spiritual meaning that lies beneath the simple stories.
But there is another important reason that Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. It wasn’t so that the message would be clarified but obscured! Read the passages above again. Jesus said that some have been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom, and some have not. Therefore, He spoke in parables so that while seeing and hearing, they will not be able to understand. This leads us to another important question: To whom does God grant understanding, and from whom does He withhold it? And why?
There is a warning here from Jesus that we all need to heed today. Jesus goes on in Luke 8 to say this: “So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away.” (Luke 8:18 NASB95) Take care how you listen! Some will encounter the word of God and care little about it. They will hear the words of God, but they do not care to really listen carefully. These will not progress any farther in their spiritual journey. In fact, it is these who will go backwards spiritually, for whatever he thinks he has shall be taken away. But to those who love the word of God, who want to know more, who want to apply it to their lives—to them God will grant more spiritual understanding. They will move forward with God because they take care how they listen! May each of us approach God today with a heart to hear His word.
—Scott Colvin
Leave a Comment » | Luke 8:10, Luke 8:18, Matthew 13:10-12, parable, Parable of the Sower | Tagged: Bible, faith, Hearing the word, Jesus, parable, Parable of the Soils, Parable of the Sower, parables, Why did Jesus speak in parables? | Permalink
Posted by Scott Colvin
November 26, 2024
“In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NASB95)
Are you able to give thanks in everything? I’m sure this is something we can all grow in. We need to learn to be thankful in all circumstances—whether life is good or life is hard, because this is God’s will for us. The truth is, no matter what is going on in our lives there are always many reasons to be thankful.
I suppose it is easier to give thanks when times are good, but we need to be intentional about it. When life is rolling along gently and easily, we can tend to take our blessings for granted. We somehow still find reasons to complain. We sometimes lose perspective on how easy our lives are compared to what so many others face in this world. And sometimes, when God brings a tremendous blessing into our lives or graciously answers our prayers, we forget to thank Him. We can so easily become like the nine leppers who forgot (or didn’t care to) thank Jesus for healing them.
What about when life is hard? Are there still reasons to give thanks to God? When we face difficulties, we tend to focus on our problems and forget that there are still blessings abounding in our lives. We forget that there are still many things going right. There are even reasons to be thankful for the trials themselves because God has promised, if we will keep looking to Him in trusting faith, that the trials will turn out for our benefit. The trials of life purify and refine us. They help us to grow in perseverance, character, and hope. And so, even when things are very hard, we can give thanks to God.
And it’s important to remember that no matter what happens, we can always give thanks to God for our salvation in Jesus Christ. We can always give thanks for our eternal home reserved for us in heaven. We can always give thanks that we can call God our Father and that He loves us as His children. We can always give thanks that our sins are forgiven. We can always give thanks that the Father and His Son dwell in our hearts through the Spirit who was given to us.
Let’s give thanks in everything. This is God’s will for us.
—Scott Colvin
Leave a Comment » | 1 Thessalonians 5:18, gratitude, thanks, thanksgiving | Tagged: Bible, faith, gratitude, In Everything Give Thanks, thankfulness, thanksgiving | Permalink
Posted by Scott Colvin
November 19, 2024
Repentance is an extremely important concept all throughout the scriptures. To repent is to turn away from sin. There can be no salvation without it. Repentance leads to life (Acts 11:18). Our God is rich in kindness, and His kindness leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4). God does not wish for anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Because God is rich in mercy and kindness, He gives all people, everywhere, time to repent.
But that time is not unlimited. God has proven again and again that He is very longsuffering, but He has also proven again and again that eventually He will bring judgment on the unrepentant, even among His own people. God punished His own people many times in the Old Testament because of their hardened, unrepentant hearts. God punished people within the church in New Testament times as well. The self-proclaimed prophetess in the church at Thyatira, Jezebel, comes to mind. Jezebel was teaching and leading the servants of Christ into immorality and idolatry, and therefore Jesus says of her, “I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds.” (Revelation 2:21-22 NASB95) Jesus gave her time! But time was up. She made it clear that she did not want to repent, and so the judgment of Christ was coming. Judgment was also imminent for those who joined her in sin, but Jesus, in His great patience and mercy, gave them a little more time for repentance.
You and I need to take the lesson to heart. Let us never think lightly of God’s kindness, patience, and tolerance. Let us not test God, nor harden our hearts and stiffen our necks toward His word. Rather, let us be thankful for His mercy, listen to His word, and turn away from sin. God desires for all people to come to repentance. Thanks be to God for providing the way to complete forgiveness and abundant life through His beloved Son. Let us not delay in coming to Him!
—Scott Colvin
Leave a Comment » | grace, Jezebel, mercy of God, repentance, Revelation 2:21-22, Thyatira | Tagged: Bible, faith, God's grace, God's kindness, God's mercy, Jesus, judgment, repentance | Permalink
Posted by Scott Colvin
November 12, 2024
This article is a call for our younger men to begin preparing themselves to serve as elders in the church. Elders (also referred to as shepherds, pastors, bishops, or overseers) have a very critical role to play in the life and health of the church. And since becoming an elder takes years of spiritual preparation, the church should always be looking ahead and thinking about how to prepare faithful men for this role.
We can read about the qualifications of elders in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Let’s take a look at some of the qualifications and consider how a man might prepare himself to fulfill them. First, it is important to note that aspiring to be an elder is a good thing. Paul wrote, “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.” (1 Timothy 3:1 NASB95) The work of an overseer is often difficult and comes with very weighty responsibilities. In light of this, it is important that there is a desire to take on this work. Elders need to serve willingly and eagerly, not under compulsion. (1 Peter 5:2)
Second, an elder must be able to teach (1 Timothy 3:2). He must hold fast to the faithful word and be able to encourage sound teaching and refute false teaching (Titus 1:9). An elder, then, must be a man who is deeply rooted in the truth. An aspiring elder must prepare himself through serious, ongoing study of the word of God. People’s souls will depend on you faithfully holding fast to the teaching.
An elder must be one who “manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?) (1 Timothy 3:4-5 NASB95) The training ground for an elder is the family. The one who aspires to be an elder must aspire to lead his family in the ways of God.
Finally, an elder must be a man who is himself walking with God. Looking through the lists of qualities in 1 Timothy and Titus we see many descriptors of the kind of man he should be: temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, gentle, peaceable, a lover of what is good, free from the love of money, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not a bully (pugnacious). In short, he must be a man who is being led by the Spirit of God. He should be a man who has been walking with the Lord for many years; a man whose character has been transformed by the Lord.
It is a good thing for our men to aspire to this work. If you feel the desire to serve as an elder one day, I encourage you to begin preparing now. And if you do not desire this work, I still encourage you to strive for these qualities, for they are wonderful qualities for each of us to pursue. May God raise up godly men among us to serve our congregation in this way.
—Scott Colvin
Leave a Comment » | 1 Timothy 3:1-7, elders, Titus 1:5-9 | Tagged: Bible, Christianity, church, elders, Jesus, overseers, pastors, preparing elders, qualifications of elders, qualities of elders | Permalink
Posted by Scott Colvin
while today 