How to use Money? Luke 16:1-13 Luke 16:14 Luke 16:9 Ephesians 5:8-9 Matthew 6:19-21 Luke 12:15 Hebrews 9:27 Principle of giving      Luke 16:9 Matthew 6:20 Principle of faithfulness      Luke 16:10 Principle of learning      Luke 16:11-12 “If you’re not trustworthy with what belongs to someone else, why would anyone entrust you with things of your own?” John 3:12 Proverbs 11:25 Principle of loving     Luke 16:13 Luke 15–17: Immediate context (Luke 16:1-13)      Jesus has just told the parable of the shrewd manager. The point isn’t to praise dishonesty, but to insist on wise, faithful stewardship of “worldly wealth.”       Verses 10-13 make a chain: faithfulness in little things → trust with greater things; faithfulness with worldly wealth (another’s) → trust with “true riches” (your own); you can’t serve both God and money.       Verse 12 drives home that how you handle resource...

Following is a conversation thread among a group of friends.  V: bros how are you all coping with the nearing expiry date. R: nearing ‘expiry date’? I’m looking for organ donors V: Ha ha. R: V, on a serious note, the % of days that I wake up and feel old is slowly increasing - constant aches and pains don’t help either. R: And I keep thinking I should make a will one of these days before it’s too late. V: Yes man and the news of apparently health folks dying of cardiac arrest in their 40s is not helping either.  Looking for some tips to cope S: yes after u go. what if you are in hospital and funds are needed and you are not awake? M: Cope with such news or cope with heart attacks? 😬 V: Open with the impending end… looks like none of you are effected or have come to terms J: Does it really matter, V? The way I figure, may be 3 or 4 people would think of me for any period longer than a day or so after we kick the bucket, and after that, except for the inconvenience caused becau...

  Few years back, my understanding of accountability and judgement got mixed up. If you had asked me a question related to what I did & why I did, I'd immediately think that you were judging me. And, I'd feel vulnerable in responding openly and transparently to your question. I'll often want to know why you want to know & how you are going to use the information.  But the grace of God overflowed for me. Holy Spirit showed me how these worldly principles had been set in my heart causing my passive aggressive behaviors.  Passive aggressive behaviors are the subtle and shrewd things I did or said to smartly avoid answering difficult questions.   Then, I dug into bible to learn the principles of Christ related to accountability in a church community.   Accountability is the fact of being responsible for what I do and able to give a satisfactory reason for it, or the degree to which this happens. Several bible verses speak to the concept of accounta...

Recently, we got two opportunities as a family to lead praise and worship segment in family functions to a large audience. Both went well. Praise God. This week while I was praying I received some insights on the opportunities for improvements in the way we conduct the praise and worship segment in the functions we'd be invited. Following is the draft. Can you kindly review and share your feedback? Thanks. ------ A christian worship leader leads the assembled people in singing praise songs and worshipping Jesus. When many of the assembled people are unbelievers, should the worship leader change their style of leading praise & worship songs?  Let's analyze this question from the perspective of the Bible. We need to consider several principles related to worship, evangelism, and the nature of the church. Core Principles from the Bible 1. Worship is Primarily for God The Bible consistently portrays worship as an act directed towards God. Psalm 95:6-7: "Come, let us bow do...

  At current times, some people say that we have sickness among faithful children of God because of gaps in faith. So, shall we start with checking whether Jesus healed all sick people when he lived on this earth? Bible verses you can verify: Where the Gospels say he healed “all” in a given setting Matthew 8:16: that evening he “healed all the sick.” Matthew 12:15: after withdrawing, “healed all who were ill.” Luke 4:40: they brought “all who had various kinds of sickness,” and he laid hands on each and healed them. Matthew 14:14, 15:30-31, 19:2, 21:14, Luke 6:19, 7:21: scenes of wide, sometimes comprehensive healing in the crowd before him. Where the Gospels say “many” (not “all”), or show limits in a place Mark 1:34: “Jesus healed many who had various diseases.” Mark 6:5, Matthew 13:58: in Nazareth he did only a few healings “because of their lack of faith.” John 5:1-15: at the pool of Bethesda, “a great number” were sick, but Jesus healed one man and then “slipped away” (v. 13)....

  Hebrews 6:1–2 (NIV) lists the “elementary teachings” about Christ as six basics: Repentance from acts that lead to death - Turning away from sinful deeds Faith in God - Trusting God through Christ for salvation and life Instruction about baptisms/washings - Basic teaching on purification and Christian baptism Laying on of hands - Practice used for blessing, commissioning, healing, and reception of the Spirit Resurrection of the dead - The future bodily resurrection hope Eternal judgment - The final judgement and eternal destinies Following are the other reference verses from NIV bible aligned to these elementary teachings: 1. Repentance from acts that lead to death Hebrews 9:14 -- Christ cleanses our consciences from “acts that lead to death.” Acts 3:19; 26:20 -- Repent and turn to God so sins are wiped out; deeds consistent with repentance. 2 Corinthians 7:10 -- Godly sorrow leads to repentance and salvation. Luke 13:3; 24:47 -- Call to repentance and forgiveness ...

The charge that the Bible demeans women is a prominent and potent critique in contemporary discourse, powerfully articulated by leading secular thinkers. Figures like Dr. Richard Dawkins, in his book The God Delusion, point directly to Old Testament laws treating women as property and New Testament commands for their submission as clear evidence of the text's misogyny. Similarly, the late Dr. Christopher Hitchens frequently referred such passages to support his claim that religion is fundamentally "contemptuous of women," while neuroscientist Dr. Sam Harris argues that relying on these ancient texts for moral guidance is dangerous, with the subordinate status of women serving as a prime example of how religious dogma can perpetuate social harm and inequality.  Together, their critiques frame the Bible not merely as a historical document with outdated views, but as a source of ongoing moral and social problems, focusing the debate squarely on the content and impact of its ...