Editorial: The Allure of Sports Betting, by Mark Mayberry
Sports betting has become mainstream through legalization, mobile technology, aggressive promotion, and integration into sports culture, but Christians should reject its spiritual dangers and cultivate Christ-centered trust, stewardship, self-control, contentment, integrity, and service.
Meditations: Belshazzar and Darius the Mede—Was Daniel Wrong? by Kyle Pope
Archaeological, inscriptional, and historical evidence supports Daniel’s accounts of Belshazzar and Darius the Mede and answers claims that these kings were fictional or that Daniel’s record was historically inaccurate.
Women’s Insights: Are We Setting Our Children Up for Failure? by Diana Dow
Parents set their children up for lasting success when they provide consistent preparation and support while giving spiritual growth, Bible study, worship, and relationships with fellow Christians priority over extracurricular achievements.
To the Praise of His Glory: The Danger of Almost Being a Christian, by Bruce Reeves
The danger of being almost Christian lies in mistaking familiarity, appearances, delayed obedience, divided allegiance, or spiritual neglect for genuine discipleship, which requires personal conviction, wholehearted obedience, continued growth, and lifelong faithfulness to Christ.
Bible Patterns: The Pattern of Benevolence, by Shawn Chancellor
The New Testament pattern directs local churches to use members’ contributions to meet the physical needs of poor saints, expressing fellowship among believers without commissioning the church to relieve poverty throughout the world.
Autobiography: Chapter 12—Years of Semi-Retirement: More Preaching than Ever, by Bobby Graham
Bobby Graham reflects on how declining health altered but did not end his service through preaching, writing, teaching, mission work in Belize, and training younger men, emphasizing the duty to use every remaining opportunity to advance the gospel.
Archaeology: The Crossing of the Jordan River, by Barry Britnell
A close examination of Israel’s crossing of the flooded Jordan reveals the extraordinary scale of God’s miracle in stopping the river near Adam and drying miles of riverbed so His people could enter Canaan safely.
Early Morning Musings: Preaching with Power, Conviction, and Completeness, by David Weaks
Through several brief reflections, the author urges Christians to value substantial doctrinal preaching, exercise wisdom in their associations, act before opportunities are lost, and accept the Bible as the unchanging standard of truth and authority.
Expositions: The Bread of Life, by Danny Linden
Jesus’s claim to be the Bread of Life calls disciples to seek spiritual life in Him, accept His difficult teachings, embody His will, and remain faithfully committed even when following Him is costly or hard to understand.
The Snare of Gambling #1: Covetousness at the Core—Gambling and the Erosion of Contentment, by Jesse Flowers
Gambling feeds covetousness, dissatisfaction, impatience, and misplaced trust, whereas Christians should cultivate gratitude, contentment, honest labor, generosity, faithful stewardship, and confidence in God’s provision.
The Snare of Gambling #2: From Labor to Luck—Gambling Versus Honest Labor, by Kyle Sanders
Gambling violates the biblical work-earn-provide principle by seeking gain without productive labor or a fair exchange of value, while Christians are called to work honestly, provide responsibly, serve others, and honor God with their earnings.
The Snare of Gambling #3: Stewardship and Responsibility—Can a Christian Justify Gambling? by Phillip E. Stuckey
Because Christians are accountable stewards of resources entrusted by God, gambling must be rejected as inconsistent with the deliberate, productive, responsible, and faithful use of those resources for divinely appointed purposes.
The Snare of Gambling #4: “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself,” by Kyle Pope
Because gambling profits from losses and harm suffered by others, Christians cannot participate in it while consistently obeying the command to love their neighbors as themselves and to do them no harm.
The Snare of Gambling #5: Gambling’s Grip: Addiction, Self-Control, and Spiritual Bondage, by Richie Thetford
Gambling can progress from covetous desire and occasional participation to addiction, weakened self-control, and spiritual bondage, but freedom is found through submission to God, resistance to temptation, and strength in Christ.
The Snare of Gambling #6: The High Price of a Wager—Gambling’s Impact on Families and Society, by Nathan L. Morrison
Gambling is a spiritually corrosive and socially destructive form of covetousness that damages finances, families, congregations, workplaces, and communities, calling Christians instead to trust God, work diligently, provide responsibly, and give generously.