Angels are among the most mysterious of God’s creation. While angels are not the central characters of the Bible, that would be humans and God, the Bible does give us hints and clues as to who and what these incredible beings are. At ORBC, we believe in studying and...
You’ve likely heard the common Christian saying, “It’s not a religion, it’s a relationship.” While the exact truth of this statement is up for debate, the truth is that the entire story of the Bible is God reaching down to form relationships with us. He wants us to...
The Bible refers to God as our Father many times. While this title is often used in prayer and teaching, some Christians struggle to perceive God as Father. After all, our concept of fatherhood comes from flawed, human parents. How can we think of God as our perfect...
Among the Christian buzzwords common in churches, perhaps one of the most uncomfortable is “bitterness”. This term often surfaces in unpleasant contexts and, unfortunately, can be used or viewed as a conversation ender. After all, who wants to be called bitter?...
Christians are all too familiar with legalism, a philosophy that obsesses over every detail (or perceived detail) in the Bible and often holds up a total agreement with all of it as a requirement for salvation. Considering how often this term is misapplied, it bears a...
Even the most modern and “hip” churches rely on tradition in some capacity. Of course, the exact extent depends on the church leadership and members, but you’d be hard-pressed to find any church that didn’t incorporate traditional activities or methodology somewhere....
Most people would agree that gossip is a bad thing. Spreading exaggerated or scandalous information about another person is, for the most part, frowned up. Many churches even spend more time focused on the “sin of gossip” than on other, more easily defined problems....
We all know the third commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7 NASB) Most people assume it just means we shouldn’t use God’s name as a swear word....
When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’...
