Category: What do you think?

God’s People and the Message They Must Hear

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JEFF TURNER

In Acts 18:10, God tells Paul to remain in Corinth because “I have many people in this city.” This raises a question: if Paul had not yet shared the gospel there, how could God already have people in the city?

The answer is found in Scripture. Romans 10 explains that people come to faith by hearing the message of Christ. It clearly says that belief cannot happen without hearing, and hearing cannot happen without someone preaching. No one is saved without first receiving the gospel and believing it.

I believe when God told Paul that He had people in Corinth, it did not mean they were already saved. Rather, it meant that there were individuals in the city who would respond to the message when they heard it. These people had already been chosen by God, even before they came to faith.

This reflects the teaching of election. God had decided, before the world began, who would be saved.

just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love

Ephesians 1:4

Trials and Temptation

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JEFF TURNER

Some believers accept that God is in control of all things. But questions come up when talking about how His control relates to temptation and sin. One verse that raises this issue is 1 Corinthians 10:13, where Paul says God won’t let believers be tempted beyond what they can handle and will also provide a way out. This might sound like God is the one who sends temptation, but that isn’t what Paul means.

In fact, James 1:13 tells us God does not tempt anyone, nor can He be tempted by evil. What God does allow, however, are tests. I’m talking about situations that challenge a person’s faith and character. The Greek word for “temptation” can also mean a test or trial, and doesn’t always imply something sinful.

When a difficult situation arises, it can either strengthen a believer’s faith or expose weakness. If a person resists sin in that moment, the trial becomes a test they have overcome. But if they give in, it becomes temptation that led to sin. God permits trials in a fallen world, but He never entices anyone to do wrong.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

Trusting God’s Love in the Middle of Life’s Storms

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AMY TURNER

In Mark 4:35-41 we’re told of a dangerous storm striking as Jesus and his disciples cross the Sea of Galilee. The boat begins to fill with water, and the disciples, filled with fear, wake Jesus from sleep. In their alarm, they ask him, “Don’t you care if we drown?”

Jesus then rises and commands the wind and waves to be still. Instantly, the storm calms. Afterward, he questions his disciples, asking why they are so afraid and whether they still lack faith. The heart of this account is not about whether Jesus could calm the storm — his power was never in question. What mattered was the disciples’ trust in him.

Their words show us their doubt. Not doubt in his ability, but in his concern for them. Faith involves more than believing in God’s strength; it requires confidence in his constant love.

God is our refuge and strength,
A very ready help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

What the New Earth Might Be Like

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JEFF TURNER

Some people imagine heaven as a place filled with clouds, harps, and endless singing. However, the Bible gives a different picture. In Revelation 21, it describes a “new heaven and a new earth,” and this new earth shares some similarities with the one we live on now.

One key difference is that the new earth will not have seas. Currently, water covers about 75 percent of the planet. The future earth will be different. Nothing in the description mentions a water-based world. This apparent change could reflect a return to how the earth was before the flood described in Genesis. That flood reshaped the world through rain and underground waters, forming oceans and continents as we know them today.

The new earth might resemble the Garden of Eden, a place of beauty, rivers, and balance. Although we can’t know all the details, it’s likely the new earth will be full of life and peace, free from the destruction of past disasters.

and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

Revelation 21:4

You Will Know Them by Their Fruit

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JEFF TURNER

You’re probably familiar with the phrase, “You will know them by their fruit,” from Matthew 7. It’s often used to judge whether someone’s faith is real, with the idea that a true Christian must prove their salvation through visible results. Some go so far as to treat this as a command to doubt every profession of faith until evidence is shown.

But this passage isn’t meant to test believers. In its context, Jesus is warning about false teachers, not questioning the salvation of sincere followers. His focus is on protecting people from spiritual deception, not urging them to challenge each other’s faith.

Jesus is talking about false prophets, that is, those who appear genuine but teach lies. They will show signs of who they really are. Their actions, morals, and even their followers can reveal their true nature. These outward signs are what expose their falsehood.

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they?

Matthew 7:15–16