Teaching Resources International

What really matters? Black lives matter! Blue lives matter! All lives matter! While all these statements are true, one thing matters more – truth.  And when truth no longer matters, nothing else will.

For Christians, truth is an absolute. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul speaks about the resurrection of Jesus. He presents a long list of witnesses who saw Jesus risen from the dead.  He even includes a group over 500 people who saw Jesus at the same time. Paul tells us that, if the resurrection did not take place, then we are liars and we are above all men to be most pitied! Why? Because Truth matters! Continue Reading »

“True Freedom …” (July 2020 Update) 

Freedom means different things to different people. To some, freedom means having no restraints and no responsibilities. But this is not true freedom. Real freedom always includes limits and responsibilities. If freedom meant no restraints, then everyone’s freedom would take away freedom from others. Still others think freedom means having no accountability. It means being able to do whatever you want without any consequences. This is also not true freedom. Freedom without accountability always results in anarchy and anarchy always backlashes into totalitarianism – eventually taking away all previous freedoms. True freedom has consequences, responsibilities and restraints.  

In his State of the Union address in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt articulated his view of what the world needed in calling for Four Freedoms that were essential for every human being – Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. His speech was a call for Americans to recognize that such freedoms could only be possible in a democracy. It was a warning that the growing forces of Nazism and Communism would always seek to reduce and eliminate these freedoms. It was a reminder that people came to the United States seeking freedoms that they were denied in their homelands. It was a reminder that the very foundation of American life is rooted and grounded in freedom. 

But there are some freedoms that are even more important than the ones outlined by President Roosevelt. All of Roosevelt’s freedoms can be taken away from us. That’s why we fought against Japan and Nazi Germany in the 1940s. That’s why America has stood for freedom against the Soviet Union during the years of the Cold War. That’s why the United States continues to stand against socialism and anarchism and other forms of oppression even today.  

In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul reminds us that all believers have Four Spiritual Freedoms that can never be taken away from us!   Continue Reading »

“Joy Unspeakable …” (June 2020 Update) 

Have you ever had the experience of being so overjoyed that you were left speechless? That is how Peter describes the experience of knowing Jesus. But unfortunately, what is inside the hearts of believers is often hidden from the world. 

This one essential, but often forgotten, element of our testimony is joy. Many Christians take witnessing very seriously. They are cautious to display a very serious tone for their lives to show the seriousness of the gospel and the holiness of their own lives. They would never want people to see them in any situation in the world just having fun. They avoid most social situations because the people there might participate in unholy fun.  

In reality, such an approach to life is not only not biblical, it is actually a detriment to our witness. It leads many non-Christians to reject the gospel, not because of its message, but because they see it as sucking all the joy out of life!   Continue Reading »