Just as Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered, we learn obedience by the difficult circumstances we face. When we obey the Word of God that is spoken by the Holy Spirit, we will grow and mature in the times of conflict and suffering. Our knowledge of Scripture is not the key. Obedience is.

We must always keep in mind all legitimate authority is from God, and is given for protection, provision, and peace.

What we say in private we must be willing to say with a heart burning with love and honor before the face of our leaders. If not, we will poison our spirits and it will manifest in the presence of our leaders.

We are like horses that must be broken; basically that one should submit to a pastor even if he is wrong.

How can a good God appoint cruel people to positions of authority? The answer is simple: God is the originator of the authority, but He is not the author of the cruelty. Man is responsible for his cruel actions, not God. All authority is of God, but not all authority is godly.

There is no other way to know good from evil, right from wrong, unless we have His Word dwelling richly in our heart. It's good for us to spend time in His Word.

We all have life-defining moments. They are like open-book tests, but we don't know we have been examined until it is over.