Diane Penny

According to several studies, the most productive age of a human life is considered to be between 60 and 70 years old. This is often attributed to the accumulated knowledge, experience, and wisdom gained throughout life at this stage. The second most productive age range is 70-80. The third most productive age range is 50-60. The average age of Nobel Prize winners is 62. There are many people who accomplished great things at a late age. Colonel Harland Sanders was 62 years old when he founded the KFC fast food franchise that we know today. Nelson Mandela was 76 years old when he became the first democratically elected president of South Africa. Ray Kroc was over 50 years old when he purchased his first McDonalds in 1961. Sam Walton started the first Wal-Mart at the age of 44. Toni Morrison, the acclaimed novelist of the black experience, at age 62 became the first African American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature. There is a sense in today’s church that the current generatio...

  Many people are familiar with the term "blood work" as it is typically ordered by a doctor during a physical examination, checkup, or screening for a specific condition. A general description of blood work, also known as blood tests, is a lab analysis of substances in the blood that can help doctors diagnose diseases, monitor conditions, and determine treatment plans. Blood tests can measure cells, chemicals, proteins and other substances in the blood to check organ function, screen for genetic conditions, and check treatment success. Other important uses for blood include DNA testing in solving crimes, paternity testing, and blood transfusions to save lives. Human blood is an important resource in the physical realm as it is essential in managing overall health, saving lives, solving crimes, and finding answers to complex genetic questions. As important as human blood is, it does not compare to the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on Ca...

  The gospel is the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The foundation of the gospel message are the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4). Strong’s definition of the word “gospel” is G2097, translated euangelizō, which means: to announce good news; to evangelize (Blue Letter Bible). The Bible says, “. . . How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things” (Rom. 10:15)! There are many reasons that the gospel of Jesus Christ is good news. Just to name a few, the gospel is good news because: there is atonement for sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:12); believers are justified righteous by God through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:23); there is redemption from the law of sin and death by the penalty paid by Jesus Christ (Gal. 3:13); believers are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:18-19); and through Jesus Christ believers have liberty from the bondage of sin (R...

Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount began with the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-12), which were part of the discipleship training for his chosen apostles. In the Beatitudes Jesus described the desired attributes of his disciples and the rewards of those that exemplify those attributes. Jesus prepared his disciples for the persecution that they would suffer for following him. Jesus knew that for his disciples to endure the trials that were coming their way, they would need to have hope, which comes from seeing their suffering from an eternal perspective. From a worldly view, the character traits that Jesus described in the Beatitudes have negative implications. However, Jesus called those blessed who are poor in spirit, mournful, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers, and persecuted for righteousness sake. Jesus promised that those possessing these quality characteristics will receive great present and future rewards. Jesus described these rewards as: the king...

  As Saul and his entourage approached Damascus, a light shined from heaven causing him to fall to the earth. Saul heard a voice speak to him saying, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” (Acts 9:4). When Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord responded, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” (Acts 9:5). Saul was a Jew who was born in Tarsus, and was a protégé of Gamaliel; a doctor of the law. Saul was a Pharisee who was zealous in keeping the law, and was also zealous in persecuting men and women who believed on Jesus Christ (Acts 22:3-4). Saul received letters of permission from the chief priests to go to Damascus to take into custody Jews that were being held for confessing Jesus Christ (Acts 22:5). However, this trip to Damascus would put Saul’s life on a path that he, nor those that knew him could have imagined, and it would be pivotal in Paul’s New Testament writings to the church. As a result of Saul’s encounter with Jesus ...