Author: Richard Lucas

Thanksgiving is more than a cherished holiday on the calendar; it is a profound spiritual practice deeply rooted in Scripture. For Christians, the Thanksgiving holiday provides an opportunity to reflect on what the Bible teaches about thanksgiving and also how to tangibly apply that teaching in our homes. Here are seven biblical themes of thanksgiving and then seven practical ways to express thanksgiving during this season and throughout the year. Thanksgiving in Scripture 1. Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness Thanksgiving in Scripture is often a response to recognizing the goodness of God. From the opening chapters of Genesis, God’s creation reflects his generosity and provision. Humanity’s response should naturally be one of gratitude. The psalmist writes: “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for...

On October 31, much of our modern American culture will be focused on costumes and candy. The history and celebration of Halloween is complicated and controversial, but for Christians, especially Protestants (of which Baptists are included), we have something much more significant to celebrate every year on October 31. That date commemorates the start of the Protestant Reformation when, in 1517, Martin Luther, a German monk and theologian, posted his famous 95 Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. His act ignited what would become a movement of profound theological and ecclesiastical reform, forever changing the landscape of Christianity and the world at large. Historical Context: Why Was Reform Necessary? By the late Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church had become the...

I distinctly remember a time during college when I was with an open-air evangelism team doing some street preaching in New York City. As I was doing my best to explain the gospel – both the bad news of sin, death, and hell, and also the good news of Jesus, salvation, and eternal life – I was interrupted by someone passing by. He yelled to me and the small crowd that was listening, “I’m not worried about going to hell, all my friends will be there too, it will be one big party.” Sadly, I don’t believe that perspective on hell is an anomaly. So many today have no fear of hell if they believe it even exists. It’s either considered to be not that bad, or it’s reserved for only the very worst of humanity, which everyone assumes doesn’t include them. The flippancy by which many speak...

Have you heard it said that someone is “too heavenly-minded to be of any earthly good”? Perhaps that’s true of someone, but I’ve never encountered that person. I think that the opposite is often the case for most of us. We don’t think enough about heavenly realities but instead focus too much on what we can see in the here and now. However, the Bible actually commands us to think about heaven. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.” Our ability to be maximally helpful here on earth now is connected to our efforts to think often and think rightly about heavenly realities. To help you “set your mind on things above,” here are seven words that you can remember. Each word answers a different question we often have about heaven. God:...

What Does Not Happen When You Die? There are so many future realities Christians are looking forward to in the afterlife, such as every tear being wiped away (Revelation 21:4), all sin and death being done away with (1 Corinthians 15:26), receiving our new bodies (1 Corinthians 15:50-55), and seeing Jesus face-to-face (1 Corinthians 13:12; Revelation 22:4). Christians are right to put their hope in Christ and eagerly await all of those glorious future realities that God has promised will come to pass. But all those specific truths, among many others, will not actually come to pass when we die. They will not be our experience right away when we die. Those specific promises aren’t fulfilled until Jesus returns! Some believers will still be alive on the earth when Jesus returns (1 Corinthians...

Names mean something. They help you identify what you are looking for. I don’t go into Chick-Fil-A looking to eat a hamburger, because they clearly communicate in their name that they serve chicken. Churches also identify what kind of church they are by their names. Some churches don’t use the word “church” in their name, but identify as a “chapel” or a “fellowship” or simply “ministries.” Other church names have become so creative at times, that it’s hard to even tell they are a church. Some church plants or rebranding efforts have resulted in church names like “Reality”, “Refuge”, “Catalyst”, or “Oasis”. Our church, on the other hand, is unmistakable in identifying who we are with our name. We are the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida. However, there are lots of other churches...

Christianity is an experiential religion because a convert must be born again (John 3:3-8). This conversion involves genuine faith and repentance in Christ which creates a new love for Jesus in the heart of the believer (Romans 5:5). Someone can’t simply claim to be a Christian, you have to experience Christ. You are saved not only when “you confess with your mouth” but also when you “believe with your heart” (Romans 10:9-10). Yet, that experience of new life does not happen in a vacuum. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). We must hear the word of Christ to be saved! Where do we find the word of Christ? How can we continue to hear the word of Christ? This answer is simple for every Christian because we have rightly been called “People of the...

Sunday school originally began at the end of the 18th century in Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Working-class children spent long hours in the factories six days a week and had no time for education. Sunday School was developed to teach basic literacy on the only day they had available. It was quite literally a school. Today, we have long dropped the aim of teaching reading and writing to children during Sunday school, but we have maintained the goal of religious instruction. But in our adult Sunday school classes, our aim is even broader than basic Bible facts. We rely on Sunday school to be our main forum of discipleship and care in our church. In many churches in America, of which the average size is less than one hundred people, you wouldn’t necessarily need something like...

Shouldn’t Christians just focus on studying the Bible and the truths of Christianity? Why should Christians worry about what other religions and cults believe? Here are three reasons why Christians should examine the claims of other faiths. To Grow in Understanding the Claims of Our Faith Contrast is a great revealer of truth in lots of areas of life. This is especially true when it comes to the truths of our faith. One of the ways to understand the true claims of Christianity is to contrast them with the false claims of other religions and other faiths. Paul does this in the book of Galatians. He is writing to the Galatians to teach them about the true gospel over against a false gospel, what he calls “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6). We see him doing this especially in Galatians 2:16:...

Sadly, much of the discussion regarding the topic of spiritual gifts among Christians is fraught with tension and division. Fights break out over which gifts, if any, have ceased or continue today. This division is especially evident with respect to the so-called miraculous spiritual gifts, such as prophecy, speaking in tongues, and healing. In response, Christians can develop pride, jealousy, or even spiritual depression when comparing gifts or being confused about the matter. All of this is so very counter to the emphasis in the New Testament around the subject of spiritual gifts. Correctly understanding spiritual gifts according to the Bible will actually lead to caring for one another. As a church, we want to reclaim love and learn how to be people of compassion in a world full of hate....