Author: Derek Spain

In about AD 61, the apostle Paul wrote a letter to some of his friends in the city of Ephesus. He wrote the letter to help them understand some pretty amazing things about their relationship with God. He wrote this letter with the intention that it would be shared with other churches in the region … Continue reading Two Reasons to Praise God (actually, 17 reasons) →

I enjoy writing interactive Bible studies that help you walk through a passage of Scripture, understand what it means, and then walk away from the Bible study knowing how to apply God's Word to your life. If you'd like to see a few of them, just click on some of the Recent Posts on this … Continue reading Weekly Online Bible Studies to resume the week of September 11 →

Imagine this scenario with me: You are the general. You are leading your troops into battle. You overtake the enemy. You defeat them. Your soldiers have the choice of two things to do with the enemy: kill them, or make them your servants. If you kill them, your soldiers are conquerors. If you take the … Continue reading More Than Conquerors →

In Genesis 22, we see an amazing story of faith, of courage, of obedience, and most of all of GOD's provision. Evangelist Dr. Karl Coke says that there are about 30 ways in which this story is almost identical to the story of GOD offering Jesus as the sacrifice for sins on Mt. Calvary. Can … Continue reading 30 Similarities between Abraham offering Isaac on Mt. Moriah and GOD offering Jesus on Mt. Calvary →

Why is there so much turmoil in the Middle East? What are the beginnings of the troubles? Many people look for political reasons, military conquests, broken treaties, and other reasons. American Presidents continually seek to broker a peace treaty between the parties. We need to find the answer to the beginning of the problems. The … Continue reading The Beginnings of the Middle East Troubles →

One of my favorite verses in the Bible (I seem to say that A LOT) is Philippians 1:6. I learned it as a kid, through a song I think. The verse goes like this: I am confident of this very thing that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the … Continue reading I Am Sure of This →

As many of you are aware, the LORD has called our family back to GA. When He began to lead us this way, I was the most shocked person on the planet. Yet GOD's call has been crystal clear, and we are excited about the new challenges before us. A new chapter has begun. Or … Continue reading New Chapter, or maybe a Whole New Book →

Jesus stood in Caesarea Philippi at a place known as the Gates of Hell, asking His disciples some incredibly important questions. The Gates of Hell was a red, gray and black hill, a rock formation with ledges carved into it where the Greeks and Romans had placed statues to their pagan gods. Exiting the base … Continue reading I Will Build My Church →

We can learn so much from Jesus. In John 17, we see Him praying to His Heavenly Father. He prays first for Himself, then for His disciples, then for all who will believe in Him through the centuries. That last part includes us - in the first century, on a hill in Jerusalem, Jesus prayed … Continue reading The Son’s Prayer to the Father →

People always want to know why things are the way they are. It's a natural part of being human, to try to figure things out. When it comes to sickness, disabilities, and other challenges, people want to know: Why is this happening? They ask things like: What did I do to deserve this? or Is God punishing … Continue reading Why Was The Man Born Blind? →