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As we look at the life of Jesus, we find hope in the fact that He understands our anxieties. The fact that God became man in Jesus Christ means that He experienced everything we go through.

Life in transition. That has been my life’s journey for the last few years, and I know I am not alone. I remind myself that this means that God is going to move me from where I am into what he has for me. This is true for all believers. These new challenges and tests...

Idolatry is one of the most prevalent sins within Scripture, and it is often associated with nationwide depravity and degeneracy.

Christianity remains the world’s fastest growing religion, as it has been essentially since Christ’s death, but this century is seeing a shift in where the church is growing.

Insecurities have plagued us since sin entered the world. Your own insecurity may insult your intelligence, deface your beauty, or suggest you are not worthy of love.

Let’s be honest: have you ever read the story of Esther as the Christian edition of the quintessential “Cinderella” story? I know I certainly used to read it through this lens (see my name), and the stereotype did nothing to urge a true deep study of the real woman. In fact, it did quite the opposite.

While there are many inspiring female figures in Scripture and history to look to as examples of righteous walks with God and heroic deeds, only a small fraction of these women tend to get any attention in the Christian church. 

Even the most devout and faithful men and women of God have faced moments where their heart was not in their worship, where their private prayer life faltered, or where they said things in public they weren’t sure they believed. For many of us, there have been times...

While there are numerous figures in Scripture who suffered but were restored by God, one of the most notable examples is David. David’s story is recorded in great detail in his own words and in the words of others.

While many Christmas traditions originated in the Christian church, several prominent traditions come from ancient pagan ceremonies. The question is, if we celebrate Christmas with the intent to worship and honor Christ and not to fulfill heathen rituals, does God care? Does He, instead, expect us to follow the Feasts that He instructed the Israelites to follow?

Whether you’re looking at a new toy or a better job, wanting new things is part of being human. The pursuit of fulfillment in the world, however, can come between us and the Lord. The Bible tells us to prioritize our faith before anything else: “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4 NKJV).

While joy truly does exist in the body of Christ, many of the people who wear a smile on Sunday are in pleasant circumstances. Some put on a happy face because it’s expected of them, but tragedy and hardship abound even among faithful believers. Now and again, everyone needs a friend to help lift up weary hands to praise God.

During a famine, life-giving rain ceases to fall and the people go hungry. In the famine of the inter-testamental era, God’s Word was not heard in Israel from Malachi’s time until Jesus’ ministry. Why did God’s people stop hearing from heaven during this 400-year pause? It was only after persistent rejection of revelation. His people would not allow His word to transform their hearts. When people reject His advances time and again, they eventually lose the ability to understand what He wants.

In a world filled with sin, slander, and ever more prevalent evil, it’s easy to become dismayed. Those who believe in the rapture may expect the return of the Lord at any time, while others foresee a very near tribulation. In either case, it’s crucial that we prioritize the commandments of the Lord above all else. No matter the season, we must remember Christ’s call to action; that is, the Great Commission

When someone you know and love breaks your trust, it can be earth shattering. You may feel like years of your life were wasted or that you never understood a person you were deeply involved with. So what do we do when a fellow believer in Christ does this to us? Do we treat that situation different other relationships? What does the Bible have to say about it?

We pray for peace not for our own comfort or because that means the kingdom of God has arrived, but because those times provide us an opportunity to work toward furthering the goals of that kingdom. Peace and prosperity by this life’s standards are not the ideal for which the Lord wants us to strive.

We were created for relationship. Without it, we’re lonely, forlorn, and unfulfilled. However, while companionship of one form or another is essential to our wellbeing, not every relationship is healthy. Whether a friend or family member or partner, it’s important to set boundaries for your relationships and understand your priorities.

If you fear the kind of failure that could sink your dreams and endeavors, you’re not alone. Many people are kept up at night worrying about letting down their families, their organizations, or their ministries.

Even though accepting Christ and being born again is a dramatic, life-changing event, anyone who knows Jesus can confirm that they still need to grow in the faith. Our tongues are not always tamed and our thoughts are not all like Christ’s. Growing spiritually is an ongoing process that takes meaningful cooperation with our Lord.

Sola scriptura is a term you will hear in many serious academic studies of theology. The term, translated literally, means “by scripture alone.” It is one of the defining doctrines that separates the Roman Catholic church and most Protestant denominations.

One of the most important elements of Christian life is devotion to prayer. It’s our most direct and intimate way to seek and commune with the Lord. Prayer is a skill that takes time to develop, requiring a consistent routine and intentionality.

Some Christians argue against observing the Sabbath by pointing to the clash between Christ and the religious leaders of His day, the Pharisees. The Pharisees accused Christ and His followers of breaking the Sabbath by healing the sick (Deuteronomy 5:15) and picking grain to eat as they walked (Luke 6:1-2).

Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender, and puts forth leaves, you know the summer is near. So you also, when you see these things happening, know that it is near- at the doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

Maintaining hope for something that has been delayed is incredibly difficult for anyone, and believers are no exception. Whether you have been waiting on a new job, looking for the right spouse, studying to pass a test, or trying to start a family, you’ve probably been praying for your hopes to come true.

Exodus is one of the great epics of Scripture, held in reverence by people around the globe. It’s fascinating because of its relevance to our journey with the Lord and the way He uses an exodus to bring each of us into His divine will.

How do we deal with discrepancies in Scripture? There are numerous cases in the Bible where one author seemingly contradicts another in certain details or even in matters of principle, and atheist scholars have long pointed to these instances as proof that the Bible could not be divinely inspired.

It’s often taught in Christian circles that we are a form of spiritual royalty, honored in heaven and waiting to be adorned with crowns in the afterlife. It would be wise to remember, however, that those with power and influence – spiritual or natural – carry a heavier burden of responsibility and temptation.

When you accept Christ as your savior and walk with God, you become part of the body of Christ: an individual member of the collective Christian movement and mission (1 Corinthians 12:27); that is, the church.

With Easter just around the corner, the church is preparing to celebrate Jesus’ sacrificial love and His victory in resurrection. While we look forward to that, now is a great time to reflect on the life Jesus lived on Earth.

You’ve read the story: in one of his most defining moments, Simon Peter denied Jesus. Let that fact sink in for a moment. One of the first disciples and a man close to the Son of God denied Him. How could this have happened? More importantly, what effect did this have on Peter?

Many ancient people believed that gods were regional, but God promised Israel that the whole world would one day know His name.

In developing a relationship with the Lord, we begin to experience a love deeper than anything we have ever encountered. It is in loving God and being loved that we learn to love others, and in doing so we can accomplish Christ’s second great commandment: to love our neighbors as ourselves.

No matter how much Hollywood and postmodernist culture tell young people that their truth is right and that they don’t need to change, they can see the fruit of worldly lifestyles every day.

Everyone wants to be known and to be loved, and God Himself is no exception. In fact, the creation of humanity reflects this universal desire.

While it’s crucial that we never forget our reverence and fear of God’s unearthly glory and His perfect goodness, it’s also important that we pay attention to His most cherished relationships in the Bible and learn from those.

Many people start the new year with high aspirations, but most fall short or give up on what they set out to do. That’s because their resolution was not a covenant.

Attitude is the lens through which we see the world. It shapes our futures, draws people toward us, and can change the atmosphere wherever we go.

This time of year, go into any mall in North America, and this is what you might come across: familiar holiday music, tinkling bells, a potpourri of spices that bring back childhood memories, cheerful wintery decorations, and a line of children and parents waiting to...

Whether you’re a new believer or you were raised in the church, the Bible can be an intimidating book. So, how do you get a foothold on the richest and most important book? Do you start at the beginning and read straight through?

If you’ve lost someone tragically or if the relationships in your life have crumbled and grown distant, seeing the whole world celebrate with loved ones can stir up painful memories and emotions. It can be the loneliest time of year for those still dealing with loss, and you may even feel like you have to suffer in silence so you don’t dampen the holidays for others. Whatever the reason, the pain is real and not something to be ashamed of. Mourning is a natural process, and we as believers can be encouraged by Christ’s words: Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted (Matthew 5:4).

Many believers struggle to meet God at a deeper, more intimate level than they did during their first encounter with salvation. Even after reading the Bible, hearing sermons, and fellowshipping with fellow believers, it’s not unusual for Christians to feel as though...

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What will the end look like? Why hasn’t Jesus come back already? Who will the Antichrist be? Perhaps the more important question is, should we be looking for signs of His coming, or should we be looking for revival?

or the uninitiated, it can seem slightly confusing that God goes by many names in the Bible, especially because the Christian faith emphasizes God’s monotheistic nature. Why does He need so many names? Why not just one?

After the Charismatic movement of the 1960s, the term apostle has taken the place of bishop or even pastor in many circles. This term is meant to show respect or to denote a minister’s seniority. Some use the term to emphasize that the Holy Spirit operates today as He...

Imagine this scene: Two armies, one righteous and one unrighteous, caught in a great battle. The hours stretch into days, and still no victor emerges. The stakes grow higher by the minute as the slain cover the earth around them. In the end, the righteous are...

What do you do when you want to learn more about an organization in your town? What about when you’re looking for a particular type of business or service? If you’re like most people today, you first ask people you know or you look online. With the ubiquitous nature...

The teachings of Jesus are compelling for many reasons, not the least of which is His masterful use of striking imagery. He uses many charged statements, including “if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off” (Mark 9:43) or “if anyone comes to Me and does not hate his...

At ISOW, one of our goals is to promote groups of believers to gather and stay in community while studying the Word. We of course deliberately chose our online Bible school model to reach as many people as possible, but this medium does come with some inherent...

Among the many common phrases Christians tend to take for granted when we hear them in church is the concept of being “called to ministry.” Many pastors, youth ministers, worship leaders, and so on will tell you they ended up where they are because they were called...

If you grew up in a Christian household, chances are you have fond memories of Sunday School – seeing illustrations of Bible stories, doing arts and crafts, and singing along about the “B-I-B-L-E” and about how “Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so.”...

A believer's life can ultimately be more fulfilling and joyful than a secular lifestyle, as life in Christ is marked with “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17). Without Him, a person can only be a branch withering to nothing (John 15:16)....

In John 8:1-11, the Pharisees threw an adulterous woman to the ground at Jesus’ feet, hoping to condemn Him for not carrying out the Law of Moses. Would this rabbi act on Moses’ commandment that those caught in adultery are to be stoned? Jesus, however, defied their...

When we introspect on how we should behave as believers, prudent Christians should take note of how the early church did things – not because their ways were perfect or infallible, but because they can teach us a lot about what Jesus directed the apostles to do. Of...

“The first gulp from the glass of natural sciences will turn you into an atheist, but at the bottom of the glass God is waiting for you.” –    Werner Heisenberg Christians often quote Proverbs 9:10, which says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Do...

Although we sometimes pretend that our faith absolves us from having to ask the difficult questions in life, Christians are not exempt from feelings of meaninglessness or frustration. From the social butterfly with a home full of family to the single bachelor...

Here at ISOW, we are on the cutting-edge of not only educational technology, but also trends in ministry. While many churches around the world found themselves suddenly unable to meet in person in 2020, others were ahead of the curve with their livestream capabilities...

For western Christians, especially Americans, the personal nature of the faith is quite real. We receive Jesus as our personal Savior and our churches emphasize private devotional time where the group breaks up into individuals, each reading their own Bible and...

Passover and Easter share a lot in common. They are often associated with one another, especially in Messianic-Jewish or Hebraic Christian communities. They both focus on victory and deliverance, they both involve eggs and big meals, and the death and resurrection of...

As Christians, we tend to take a lot of what we say to one another for granted. We use many phrases and idioms without considering what they mean or what they sound like to outsiders. This includes terms and phrases such as “blood of the lamb,” “born again,” and “God...

Are tradition and Scripture at odds with one another? What does it even mean to ask that? In the modern church, the word “tradition” has taken on a connotation of man-made values and customs, and many believers make the assumption that human tradition is by nature...

Christians are taught even as kids in Sunday school that God is omnipotent (all powerful), omnipresent (in all places), and omniscient (all knowing). These statements, held as fact by most biblical scholarship and tradition, raise some interesting paradoxes about how...

At International School of the Word, some of the online courses we offer include courses on writing books and songs. While Christian literature and worship music have never seriously been disputed as having a legitimate purpose, how should believers approach the arts...

At International School of the Word, one of the major theological underpinnings of our school of ministry is the belief that God has and continues to demonstrate His power through signs, wonders, and gifts given to believers. This is of utmost importance to the...

International School of the Word offers a wide variety of online Bible studies, but some of our most popular content revolves around the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. To some, this may seem like a largely irrelevant topic for the modern church, but we would...

At ISOW, we pride ourselves on our cutting-edge prophecy courses. In fact, Bible Prophecy is one of our six divisions as well as one of our certificate categories. You might ask, however, why we put so much of an emphasis on studying prophecy in the first place....