by Pastor Ray Viola | Aug 23, 2025 | Devotionals
David declared, “Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and wine increased.” Have you noticed a real absence of genuine gladness in God’s people lately? When preparing to come to church on Sunday, or at any other time, do you...
by Pastor Ray Viola | Aug 22, 2025 | Selah
Our cultural attitudes find the idea of living for someone else to be repulsive. However, in reality, all of us are servants to something in a motivational sense. That is, whatever it may be, something motivates everyone to live, and they are servants of that thing....
by Pastor Ray Viola | Aug 21, 2025 | Selah
Peter admonished his readers to no longer walk in the old ways, which often included drinking, sexual immorality, and idolatry. Though the blood of Jesus protects us from the wrath of God’s judgment, we will have to stand before Jesus one day and make an account of...
by Pastor Ray Viola | Aug 20, 2025 | Selah
Today’s passage teaches some important things about Christ’s sacrifical death. Jesus’ death on the cross was unrepeatable. Jesus’ death on the cross was substitutionary, and His death on the cross was reconciling. That is, Jesus died once for our sins, in our place,...
by Pastor Ray Viola | Aug 19, 2025 | Selah
Jesus’ death on the cross was a sacrificial death. He died for sins, but not His own, for He never sinned. He was the only perfect man and the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. As Isaiah wrote: He was wounded for our transgressions . . . bruised for our iniquities and...