Powerline Church

Matthew culminates his birth narrative of the coming Messiah with Mary and Joseph settling in Nazareth, thereby fulfilling the words of the prophets. Upon closer examination, this prophetic concept creates...

So, who exactly visited baby Jesus that wonderful “Christmas morning” so long ago? Did it include that strange group of Magi that most Nativity scenes adorably portray gathered in the...

Jonah and Nahum prophesied about 150 years apart to the same city – Nineveh. Under Jonah's preaching, the metropolis of 120,000 encountered a clear sign from God and enthusiastically repented,...

Micah prophesies the destruction of both Samaria and Jerusalem for their continual turning away from the Lord. Concerning the latter city, however, he boldly declares that it will rise again...

As young little leaguers take the field, it is inevitable that one of them gets distracted and begins to pick the flowers, even when the baseball is hit in their...

Our struggles are regular opportunities to depend upon God for breakthrough. Joel predicts a plague of locusts that would crush Israel, bringing her to her knees in dependence upon God...

There is warfare going on all around us in the world that is all too evident and costing innumerable lives. What is not so evident is the warfare waged on...

George Orwell coined the term “newspeak” in his book 1984. It is used today to refer to confusing political terms, either euphemisms or redefinitions for governmental evils, like “reproductive health...

Sin broke us. Not just a little bit. Crushed. Ruined. Completely. “All the king's horses and all the king's men,” personal therapists, and the best self-help books on the market...

Sin is not something that simply complicates our relationship with God; it severs it! It produces in us a deadness and constant dissatisfaction in our soul that is unavoidable. Self-help...

Failure can feel final, like we've reached the end of the road and must resign to its horrific consequences. But we do so from a limited and often naïve perspective....

When it comes to evaluating our day, “good” or “bad,” we're experts. Without realizing it, we can tend to adopt our culture's mindset and assess much of our life from...

The world of Noah's day was completely destroyed. An entire population, more than likely in the millions, wiped out while only eight righteous people could be found. How does this...

The kingdom of Judah played politics after King Josiah died, siding with one oppressive nation or the other, hoping to gain some reprieve. They soon discovered, however, that politicking completely...

Though cravings can sometimes be very strange, one thing is for sure, we all have them. Unfortunately, our longings can be for the wrong things. The prophet Jeremiah prophesied during...

Josiah was known for being that king who repented and turned to the Lord with greater resolve than any other king. What led him to this shift in life-purpose? What...

Manasseh was the most wicked king of God's people, including all the kings of Israel. He was heavily involved in astrology, the occult, and Satanic, pagan rituals. But a tragedy...

I hated discipline growing up, and I hated it as a dad… but it was absolutely necessary! Even Hezekiah, though the godliest king of Judah next to David, had to...

It comes as no surprise that Satan wants our demise. And he will do anything to accomplish that goal. So, how do we fight back? Hezekiah found himself in an...

King Hezekiah grew up in a completely dysfunctional home, heavily involved in occultic practices. Some of his younger brothers died in ritual sacrifice at the hand of his father. These...

King Hezekiah grew up in a completely dysfunctional home, heavily involved in occultic practices. Some of his younger brothers died in ritual sacrifice at the hand of his father. These...

Success is a wonderful thing to experience, especially when much planning, hard work, and sacrifice has gone into it. But it can also be a recipe for future failure. King...

Many in our generation have grown up in Christian homes. Like me, a large percentage came into the kingdom, so they thought, on the coattails of their parents' faith. A...

Relationships always influence – for the good or the bad. These influences have the power to alter the trajectory of our lives. An assessment of those in our inner circle...

All we do in life should boil down to two goals – goals that God has set for us. So, everything we do should reach for these goals. They aren't...

When called to destroy Moab, Jehoshaphat, King Joram, and the king of Edom found themselves in a life-threatening situation. They were without the water that they desperately needed to go...

We all have come to that place when facing a problem that “we just can't.” It's too big! It feels impossible and hopeless. Jehoshaphat felt that way when facing an...

King Jehoshaphat was one of the godliest kings that reigned in Judah – at least in his early years. Scripture indicates that his early success enticed him to failure later...

When King Jehoshaphat ascended the throne, he quickly positioned the kingdom of Judah on high ground. Soon, the fear of the Lord began to fall upon the surrounding nations, and...

There is a key principle when sharing the gospel that we often set aside. However, we see it in the Old Testament (like with Elijah and Jonah) and throughout the...

Perhaps the greatest destructive problem in Israel was King Ahab's intense proliferation of Baal worship. We must grasp the gravity of this problem to understand the issues facing the subsequent...

Most Christians tend to move forward with Christ hesitatingly. We toe-dip. Our uncertainty cautions us: “Nothing too radical.” We want to pre-empt the Christian life of risk – at least...

Recognizing and dealing well with the sinful, diseased roots of our family tree is crucial to bearing much fruit. And we all have some! King Asa did so and opened...

King Asa of Judah faced a problem bigger than any he ever had before – perhaps bigger than any king of Judah ever had –but not too big for his...

The world loves watered-down “Christianity.” What it hates is when Christians choose to live Christ's claims radically. Jeroboam offered his newly claimed kingdom a pagan cult draped in a veneer...

It didn't take long for Rehoboam and all of Judah with him to veer off course. Even after some eye-opening discipline, his heart remained distant from the Lord. It all...

No other king was permitted to experience the manifested presence of God as Solomon did. Yet for the sake of expedience, he made political deals that cost him dearly later...

As we begin a challenging study in the lives of the kings of Judah, David immediately stands out as the measuring stick for all subsequent kings. He chose to live...

Perhaps you've heard the adage: “Change your attitude, and you'll change your altitude.” It's a catchy saying for our self-improvement generation. Unfortunately, it tends to focus heavily upon personal effort...

In Pilate's trial of Jesus, he communicates that he is disinterested in “the truth” and even tosses out a rather philosophical and rhetorical question, “What is truth?” He simply does...

Even as Jesus and His disciples faced immeasurable darkness the night of His betrayal, so we too can face personal times of darkness that seem overwhelming. What truths does John...

Preparation is vital to the success of any undertaking, especially life's adventurous but difficult journey. As we wrap up this deep dive into events leading up to the end of...

It is only when we realize the purpose of Revelation from start to finish (and it's not the End Times) that we can grasp the essence of and motivation behind...

There is tremendous continuity between life here now and life in heaven on the new earth. The core of the kingdom of God is relationships both now and then, with...

Jesus shared two parables that spoke very clearly of our future in the new heavens and new earth. He purposefully connected our rewards then with the original mandate to rule...

The picture of heaven's citizens laying around on clouds with pretty much nothing to do has long maligned Christianity and turned a needy and curious world away. No image could...

Rev. 13 says that one of Satan's goals is to slander “the place where God dwells,” heaven. One way he does this is to portray our eternal home as boring...

In part, Satan's goal is to make heaven appear so boring, so unattractive to this world that no one would want it. But Scripture paints a vastly different picture for...

Perhaps the most not-talked-about topic in the Bible is hell. It can feel uncomfortable if not avoided altogether. Many simply dispose of it outright, excusing it as a misunderstood doctrine....

So, what exactly is it that this “thief” comes to do? Steal? And how might we prepare ourselves for His coming, or as our text says, “be dressed” and “watchful”?...

As we look a little closer at the Scriptures, it does not appear that the final battle at the end of the age, Armageddon, is quite like Hollywood or other...