Posts by Eddie Parrish (Page 2)
The Speeding Ticket
Recently, a man in Florida went to great lengths to get out of a simple speeding ticket. When the police officer who pulled him over was out of earshot, the man dialed 911. He told dispatchers that a murder was about to take place. He passionately described how a person was holding a gun and a murder was about to happen. The odd part was that he told dispatchers it was happening somewhere away from where he was. Several police…
Stepping Out in Faith
Even the strongest Christian cannot honestly lay claim to perfect faith. Some days we’re strong, others weak. We may have confidence in one area of life and lack it in others. As long as we live in these mortal bodies of ours, we will struggle with weaknesses, failures, and sins. The good news, however, is two-fold. First, as God’s children we have been given the immeasurable blessing of living under the protective umbrella of his grace (Rom. 6:14; 8:1). Second,…
Renewing Your Relationship With God (4)
When I have found myself in spiritual and emotional valleys, one thing has always played a key role in helping me come victoriously out of them: meditating on the nature and characteristics of God. This meditation, which has consistently led me into deeper prayer and worship, has been a tremendous blessing to my life. Thus far in this brief series we have considered God’s goodness, sovereignty, and holiness. Let’s consider another of God’s traits. God is all-knowing and all-wise. “Great…
Renewing Your Relationship With God (3)
When I have found myself in spiritual and emotional valleys, one thing has always played a key role in helping me come victoriously out of them: meditating on the nature and characteristics of God. This meditation, which has consistently led me into deeper prayer and worship, has been a tremendous blessing to my life. Thus far in this brief series we have considered God’s goodness and sovereignty. Let’s consider another of God’s traits. God is holy. At the root of…
Renewing Your Relationship With God (2)
When I have found myself in spiritual and emotional valleys, one thing has always played a key role in helping me come victoriously out of them: meditating on the nature and characteristics of God. This meditation, which has consistently led me into deeper prayer and worship, has been a tremendous blessing to my life. In the last article, we considered God’s goodness. It thrills my soul to know that because God has already given me the best gift possible, his…
Renewing Your Relationship With God (1)
When I have found myself in spiritual and emotional valleys, one thing has always played a key role in helping me come victoriously out of them: meditating on the nature and characteristics of God. It was A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God who said, “The modern scientist has lost God amid the wonders of His world; we Christians are in real danger of losing God amid the wonders of His Word.” Tozer’s point was that it is possible…
Great Lessons from Galatians
Salvation is God’s great gift to mankind (1:4; 2:16, 20; 3:8, 13-14, 26- 29; 4:4-5; 5:1; 6:8). Maintaining doctrinal purity is vital (1:6-9; 2:4-5; 4:16; 5:7-9). It matters what we believe (1:6-9; 3:1- 5; 5:7-9). We cannot serve God and man at the same time (1:10; 5:11). The scriptures are inspired of God (1:11-12). God is no respecter of persons (2:6; 3:28). Great is the fellowship of Christians (2:9; 4:13-14; 6:2, 10). There is no place for hypocrisy in the…
God Our Father
God fulfills many roles. He is the creator of all things (Exo. 20:11). He is the sustainer of life (Acts 17:28). He is the sovereign ruler of the world (Psa. 47:2-3). He is savior (1 Tim. 2:3-4). He is judge (Acts 17:31). He is our Father (Matt. 6:9; 1 Cor. 1:3). Everything that God does he does perfectly. Every role that God fills he fills flawlessly. On this Father’s Day, consider the characteristics of our perfect Father. As you do,…
Ministry in a Post-Lockdown Church (2)
A church cannot go through an extended period of ministry interruption and be the same on the other side. Nor should it be. Our troubles are designed to change us. According to Romans 5:3-4, difficulties produce perseverance, which strengthens our character. That’s change. But such positive outcomes only happen when our trials are honestly evaluated and the lessons properly applied. We are still evaluating the last 15 months. We have not discovered all the lessons yet. But there are some…
Survey of 1 Corinthians 1
Paul had received a report from a family in the Corinthian church about the existence of contentious divisions in the church. After a brief salutation and greeting, the apostle gets to the business of addressing this dangerous situation. Following is an outline and brief summary of the chapter. Salutation (1:1-3) When Paul identifies himself, he establishes his authority in some very concrete language. First, he was called by the will of God. He did not take the apostolic office on…
Introduction to 1 Corinthians
There may not have been a more troubled church in the first century than the church in Corinth. In his first letter to them, Paul corrects their errors, answers their questions, and encourages them with statements of confidence. In this article, we will address some matters of background and introduction: the writer, recipients, and purpose of the letter. Next week, we will begin a survey of the contents of the letter. Recipients Paul identifies them as “the church of God…
The Value of Scripture
In the days following the death of wicked King Ahab, Israel was ruled by Ahaziah, Ahab’s son. A serious fall would leave Ahaziah unable to get out of his bed. Concerned for his future, the king wanted to know if he would recover. He sent messengers to “inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron” (2 Kings 1:2). Jehovah’s response, voiced through the prophet Elijah, was this rhetorical question, “Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are…