Evident Church

10 Misunderstood Verses from the Bible: The Bible is the most important book ever written. The one true God chose to reveal Himself to us through the written word. Amazing and humbling! Yet sometimes we get it wrong. We misunderstand or misapply the truth God has given us. Although there are countless causes, through my experience I have seen two primary problems crop up again and again. Perspective - Too often we read God’s Word with our own purposes and goals in mind. But the Bible is all about God. When we read it with His eternal purposes in mind, we will better grasp the truth of His Word. Context – The Bible may have unlimited applications, but its meaning never changes. It means the same today as it did when it was written. To understand the original meaning, we must pull back and understand the context – of the passage, of the chapter, of the book. Here are 10 verses that are often misunderstood due to perspective, context, or both: 1. 1 Corinthians 10:1 “No temptation has over...

CONVICTION? 2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 2 Timothy 3:1-7 (NASB) “But realize this, that in the last day’s difficult times will come.   For men, will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these... Claiming to be a Christian but no evident change. No transformation. Claiming to be -but living the opposite. Sunday Christians. Not even wanting God to require too much from them. always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” You can learn and learn, but if the Truth isn’t in your heart then learning does you littl...

Coming Up for Air: How to Be "In the World but Not of the World" Rick Sorensen It’s fair to say that it’s almost impossible to be a Christian for any length of time without hearing the expression that Christians are to be, “In the World but Not of the World.” While we as Christians may nod our heads in agreement to this declaration that seems to have an emphasis on separating ourselves from the world’s unrighteousness (2 Corinthians 6:14-17), it may be just as easy for us to shake our heads in confusion as we try to understand how it’s possible to not be of a world that we are born into. What can help us make sense of it all is to take a look at the context of the verse where this expression originated, and, funny as it may sound, to pay a visit to your local aquarium to learn about a very special animal. This expression, “In the World but Not of the World” is a paraphrase taken from a prayer of none other than Jesus himself in John 17:13-19: “I am coming ...

You of Little Faith! Pastor Gregg Crisp November 20, 2017 When I turn on a light switch I expect a light to come on. Right! I also know that the sun will rise every day. I may not see it, especially in Wyoming with the snow blowing sideward, but I know the sun is there. There is light even if I don’t see the source. So, do I just simply believe that a light will turn on or that the sun will rise? Or do I act on more than simple belief when I turn on that switch? I also have faith, right. I can believe all I want that a light will turn on when I hit that switch, but if I don’t actually hit the switch then I’ll remain in the dark. I need to engage the power before I get any light and drown out the darkness. The same is true with the Word of God. I can say I Believe in it all day. I can even read it and know it like the backside of my hand. But it does me little good unless I act upon it. It does me little good to simply believe it. I must take that Step of...

JOHN 21: Jesus has already died and risen. Afterward, Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So, they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?” “No,” they answered. He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” (I would have said, “Hey, dude, we’ve been out all night. Don’t you think we’ve tried everything?” They didn’t know. But they did as He said.) When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.  Then the disciple (John) whom Jesus ...