“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5) Pride can be a hindrance to healing, both physically and spiritually. It manifests itself in various ways. In Matthew 9:1-13, Jesus dealt with two expressions of More →
A Tormented World, Abyss, Addiction, Alcohol, Blog, Church, Conviction, Deception, Demon-Possessed, Demons, Drugs, Erik Garthe, Gergesenes, Grace, Herd of Pigs, Lordship, Mercy, No Longer Conformed, Torment, Truth
0 Comment
Matthew 8:28-34 is a strange story. But not much different from so many people today. Consider the response in this account of the demon-possessed man of the Gergesenes. First, there was a recognition More →
Blog, Calling, Cost, Count the Cost, Deny Self, Erik Garthe, Follow, No Longer Conformed, Release the World, The Cost to Follow, Trust
0 Comment
In Luke 9:23, Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” In order to follow Him, you must fulfill three prerequisites. First, you must count More →
Blog, Centurion, Compassion, Erik Garthe, Gentile, Great Physician, Heal, If You Will You Can, Initiative, Jesus, No Longer Conformed, Peter, Roman Commander
0 Comment
Matthew 8:1-17 reveals Jesus as the Great Physician, who is willing to heal you, who is able to heal you, and who is often proactive to heal you. First, Jesus is ready to heal—“Lord, if you will, you can make me clean … More →
A Firm Foundation, Authority, Bible study, Biblical Application, Biblical Truth, Blog, Building Foolishly, Building Wisely, Christian Life, Commitment, Disobedience, Erik Garthe, Floods, Foundation, Human Reasoning, Human Thinking, Human Understanding, Life, No Longer Conformed, Rain, Secure, Sermon on the Mount, Wind
0 Comment
The Sermon on the Mount provides the Christian foundation for life. Yet, many people live an accidental Christian life in their decisions. Building the right way involves paying the price of long-term personal More →
An Alternative Lifestyle, Believer, Blog, Christian, Commitment, Disciplined, Erik Garthe, Evangelism, Faithful, False Teachers, Foundation, Fruit, Gospel, Leadership, Lifestyle, No Longer Conformed, Principles, Sermon on the Mount, Sheep’s Clothing, Stable, Trustworthy, witness, Wolves
0 Comment
Sharing the gospel message does not mean that a majority will respond with genuine faith—true believers are a small percentage of people. And faithful Christians are a small portion of the true believers. In Matthew 7:13-23, Jesus gives the final More →
Ask, Blog, Confidence, Erik Garthe, Expectant, Knock, Motive, Need to Pray, No Longer Conformed, Prayer, Purpose, Seek, Trust
0 Comment
Jesus taught (Matthew 7:7-12) His disciples to seek God’s help: be persistent in prayer; be confident in expecting; be purposeful in serving. Every Christian who desires to serve needs to be about prayer. Failure to More →
Blog, Criticize Wisely, Discrimination, Erik Garthe, Humility, Hypocrisy, Hypocrite, Judge, Judging, Judgment, love, Mockery, No Longer Conformed, Ridicule, Truth, Wisdom, witness
0 Comment
Jesus begins Matthew 7:1-6 by stating, “Judge not.” Does that mean never make any kind of judgment? Judge not does not mean not to evaluate right from wrong: the issue is intent to condemn. Righteous judgments are More →
Anxiety, Blog, Clothing, Earthly, Erik Garthe, Eternal, Faithless, Food, Futile, Kingdom of God, Needless, No Longer Conformed, Priorities, Righteousness, Trouble, Trust, What Me Worry?, Worldly, Worry
0 Comment
Someone wrote, “Worry gives a small thing a big shadow.” People worry about things or events over which they have no control: the unexplained, the unexpected, the unreachable, the unavoidable, or the unknown. Jesus taught More →
Absolutes, Blog, Earthly Values, Erik Garthe, Eternal Values, Freeing, Good, Got Right Values?, Guidance, Lasting, Moral, No Longer Conformed, Purifying, Relative, Treasures in Heaven, Values
0 Comment
Many people think good is relative, there are no moral absolutes. Bad Thinking! It leads to every person doing what seems right to him. God’s kingdom values must dictate what is important to us. He has established More →
Notifications
