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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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 | 
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
November 12, 2024
In his sermon in Acts chapter 17, Paul reveals some magnificent things about the true God of heaven to a group of Athenian philosophers who did not know God. Paul tells them that God made the world and all things in it. He tells them that God does not need to be served by humans as if He needed anything. No, God is the one who serves mankind by giving us everything we need—life and breath and all things. He tells them that it is God who made all mankind and determined where they would live.
But why has God been so kind and generous to all people in these ways? This brings Paul to his central point. He said it was so “that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us…” (Acts 17:27 NASB95) God has poured out His blessings on all so that we would seek Him! What a profound truth it is that God wants all to search for Him, and He wants all to find Him!
And what a profound truth it is that God does require that we search, that we grope for Him, feeling our way toward Him to discover who He is. God does not reveal the wonders of Himself to just anyone. He only reveals Himself to those who will seek Him. God has been very clear about this throughout scripture. Take this verse, for example: “How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart.” (Psalm 119:2 NASB95) Or take the words of Jesus as another example: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 NASB95) Or consider this verse, where Paul explains that in Jesus “… are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3 NASB95) You see, the treasures of God’s wisdom and knowledge are not available to just anyone. They are hidden in Christ. God desires that we do some digging before He will allow access to these blessings.
But the beautiful thing is that God will allow us to find Him. He wants to be found. He wants a relationship with you and me. The question for us is, are we still searching for Him? Even if we have already found Him, there is still more to be found. We must continue to dig deeper to explore even more of the beauty and the delight that is found in God and in His beloved Son. May God lead us ever deeper into Himself!
—Scott Colvin
Leave a Comment » | Acts 17:27, Colossians 2:3, Matthew 7:7 | Tagged: Bible, Christianity, faith, Finding God, God, Groping for the Lord, Jesus, Paul in Athens, Seeking God | Permalink
Posted by Scott Colvin
October 15, 2024
“I would rather see a sermon than hear one.”
I have heard this statement many times in various forms. I can agree with the sentiment expressed. It is very important that we live out the gospel—not just saying the right things but living in a right way. A life lived for God shows the beauty of Jesus to those around us.
But we must remember that being a “living sermon” is not the entirety of the church’s responsibility. The word must also be spoken. As the angel said to Cornelius in Acts chapter 11, “Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here; and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.” (Acts 11:13b-14 NASB95) Peter was going to speak words that would save Cornelius and his household. If anyone is going to be saved, they must hear the words of the gospel of Christ. They must hear who Jesus is. They must hear the words about Jesus dying and being raised for us. They must hear what to do to accept His gracious offer of forgiveness of sin.
I do encourage you to continue to be a living sermon. I encourage you to continue living a life that adorns the doctrine of God (Titus 2:10). I encourage you to continue walking in wisdom toward outsiders, letting your speech around them be with grace (Colossians 4:5-6), and while you do these things, be looking for open doors to also speak the word of God.
It’s very interesting to me that God, if He wanted, could announce the saving message to the lost through angels or through personal visions or dreams, but He has not seen fit to do so. We see over and over again in the scriptures that God sends people (like you and me) to speak the words that lead to salvation.
Are there people in your life that need to hear the message? Perhaps they have seen your way of life and felt your love and concern for them. And perhaps because of that, their heart is ready to hear. May God prepare you and direct you to those who need to hear the words by which they can be saved.
—Scott Colvin
Leave a Comment » | Acts 11:13-14, Cornelius, evangelism, gospel, sharing the gospel | Tagged: a living sermon, Bible, Christianity, faith, God, Jesus, Reaching the lost, sharing the gospel | Permalink
Posted by Scott Colvin
December 1, 2023
There is a lot of confusion in the church about the Holy Spirit. Many questions arise, such as: Is the Spirit a personal being or just some impersonal force? Is the Spirit divine? Does the Spirit help us in some way today? What is His function, exactly? What about miraculous gifts? Does the Spirit actually dwell within us? These are all important questions that should be asked, and answers should be sought.
The scriptures make it clear that a reliance on the Spirit is critical to the spiritual health of both the church as a whole and of each individual Christian. Despite this fact, there are some in the church today who downplay the role of the Spirit. Some have claimed that the Spirit is not really doing anything today. Some have claimed that the Spirit of God does not actually dwell in us today in any real sense. We must carefully search the word of God to form our understanding of the Spirit. Some are not forming their views of the Spirit on a careful study of the word, but on a counterreaction to certain misguided views held by the Pentecostal/charismatic movements. Forming our views of scripture on a reaction to what others are teaching is no way to go about finding truth! We must let the word of God speak for itself and let it shape our thinking. Some who downplay the role of the Spirit do so because of their desire for simple, black and white teachings that can be easily understood. But the fact is, there are some things in scripture that are difficult to understand (2 Peter 3:15-16), and there are many, many things in the scriptures that will far exceed our ability to fully comprehend. Afterall, we are dealing with God. His ways are far above our ways. Why should we think that we could ever fully understand nature of God and His Spirit? And yet, we sometimes try to put God in a box of our own making.
The effects of downplaying the role of the Holy Spirit are devastating. Some minimize the work of the Spirit and then wonder why there is so much spiritual weakness in the church. But it is the Spirit who brings power into our lives (Ephesians 3:16). It is the Spirit who brings transformation (2 Corinthians 3:18). Some minimize the work of the Spirit and then wonder why we’re not reaching the lost like we should. But it is the Spirit who will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:8). Some have done their best to remove the Spirit’s presence from the church and then wonder why so many congregations are dying out and closing their doors. But when the Spirit is pushed out of the temple of God (the church), what should we expect to happen?
May we always strive to hold fast to a biblical view of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord continue to bless us, transform us, and impart life to us through the Spirit whom He has given.
—Scott Colvin
Leave a Comment » | 2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Peter 3:15-16, Ephesians 3:16, Holy Spirit, John 16:8 | Tagged: Bible, Christian, church, Denying the Spirit, Dying congregations, faith, Holy Spirit, scripture, The Holy Spirit, The indwelling of the Spirit | Permalink
Posted by Scott Colvin
while today 