Here are two more traits of a false teacher, described a bit more in detail. These next two look beyond what the teacher is teaching to what is produced by the teaching. 7. Rather Than Feeding Sheep, They Feed on Sheep (Acts 20:29-30; 2 Pet 2:3)The role of the pastor is to lead, feed, and protect the flock. He does this by rightly teaching the Word of God, drawing on the whole counsel of God’s Wor...  Read More

We are on to the next 3 items in the list of traits that the Bible teaches us to identify false teachers and false teaching. 4. They Produce Bad Fruit (Division, Destruction, Sensuality, Idolatry) (Matt 7:15-20; Rom 16:17-18; 2 Peter 2:1-2; 17-18)If a plant produces grapes, you don't say it is a peach tree. If the fruit that grows from a tree is inedible, the fruit itself may not be the problem. I...  Read More

This is really the 4th post in this series, but it is the second in which we are looking at a list of ways in which we can identify false teachers and teaching. In this post, we'll look more closely at the first 3 identifiers.Their Power Is Real, But It's Not of God (Deut 13:1-5)One clear test of a prophet's status among the Israelites was whether or not their works of power were used to draw peop...  Read More

Our most recent cycle of visions in Revelation brought us face-to-face with the Devil and his two beasts that would be used to spread lies and to perform "signs and wonders" that would deceive lots of people. Though the Lord will protect His people, we have still been warned to watch out for false teachers and teaching. Hence this series of posts. This is the third installment. If false teaching i...  Read More

It would be nice if we could turn to an exact chapter and verse reference that provides a nice, concise definition. There are several passages throughout Scripture that warn of both these teachers and their teaching. Many help us identify the traits that help us identify them. We will look at many of these later. But, there is no concise definition that says something like, “A false prophet is…” o...  Read More

Did you know that every New Testament author warns against false teachers and their teaching? In fact, every book in the New Testament other than Philemon has some reference, warning, or direct rebuke of false teachers and the lies they spew.The Bible ends with a warning against false teaching.Revelation 22:18–19 (ESV) — 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyon...  Read More

In keeping with the theme of adding things to our lives for Lent, I want to encourage you to consider adding or growing your commitment to prayer. But as I talk about prayer, I don’t simply mean stopping to ask God for something or saying a quick blessing before you eat. What I mean is praying as a focused and intentional time of worship that goes further than just making our requests known to God...  Read More

I’ve refrained from putting too much out that addresses much of the symbolism as it pertains to numbers or dates in Revelation. But, we’ve come across these time frames repeatedly and we will again this Sunday. So, I wanted to provide a bit more information about it since I’m not going to address it directly in any of these sermons.I’ve become convinced these all refer to the same period of time t...  Read More

There are plenty of reasons people fast from certain things. There are medical, dietary, and religious fasts (Ramadan is an annual Muslim fast seeking to earn favor). Why would or should Christians fast?Before I share why we should fast, let me address one misplaced motive. We should not fast to get something from God. Several Christians seem to add fasting to their regular disciplines to convince...  Read More

That is the title of the first chapter in John Piper's book, A Hunger for God. (Click here for a free ebook). It's also a question lots of Christians ask. Since Lent is most often associated with fasting, and most of us probably don't practice the spiritual discipline of fasting often, I thought it would be good for us to consider this question in this season. In short, the answer to the question ...  Read More

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent. Maybe you have friends who are Roman Catholic or from other protestant but more liturgical denominations than ours who went today and were marked with an ashen cross on their forehead. We aren't going to practice Lent in the same way, but that doesn't mean this can't be a season of intentional and heightened seeking of the Lord and His will for us as His peo...  Read More

This Wednesday, February 14th, is not just Valentine’s Day. It’s also the first day of Lent. Much like the season of Advent, Lent is a season of preparation. While Advent is focused on Jesus coming to us, Lent prepares us to reflect on and celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection. Starting on Ash Wednesday, it lasts until Easter. It is 40 days long, not counting Sundays, since these are considered ...  Read More