Michael Sturek

Michael enjoys studying God’s word with his wife Teresa, reading books from authors such as John Piper, Timothy Keller and Michael Horton and he loves music and prison ministry.

📍 Texas

Did Jesus Come for You?

Did Jesus Come for You?

“But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: “I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.” For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’” – Matthew 9:12-13 Imagine a new

Self-Justification is No Justification

Self-Justification is No Justification

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” – Luke 18:14 It is easy to justify ourselves when we choose the standard of righteousness. How often

Jesus Calls Us Back

Jesus Calls Us Back

In John 21, we see the resurrected Jesus appear to seven of His disciples. We see Him specifically reach out to Peter to assure him that he was still His disciple even though Peter denied Him three times. John makes three key observations about Jesus’ interaction with Peter that shows

What are Chapters and Verses?

What are Chapters and Verses?

If you are reading the Bible for the first time, you might not understand what it means when you see John 3:16 or 1 Corinthians 15:10. At first this sort of notation might seem like some kind of secret code to make the Bible more complicated than it

Why are There so Many Types of Bibles?

Why are There so Many Types of Bibles?

When you begin reading the Bible for the first time, you may get overwhelmed with all the options available. Looking at all the options of Bibles available in a Christian bookstore or online, there is a seemingly endless number of choices: gift Bibles, Bibles for men, women, military Bibles – the

Why is the Bible Split in Two?

Why is the Bible Split in Two?

If you are a new Christian or new to reading the Bible, you might have wondered why the Bible seems to be split in two. Why is there a New Testament and an Old Testament? Does the New replace the Old? The most important thing to understand before answering these

What Is a Sermon?

What Is a Sermon?

What comes to mind when you think about a sermon? With different denominations, worship styles and agendas, sermons today sometimes can feel more like motivational speeches or platforms for social issues. Contrary to these styles of preaching, Belgic Confession article 29 says that one of the marks of a true

God is More Than a Lifeguard

God is More Than a Lifeguard

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions

God Does All That He Pleases

God Does All That He Pleases

Children rarely do as they please. What they do is dependent on their parents and other parental figures in their lives. Teenagers have more ability to do as they please but are still limited by teachers and parents. Adults are limited by their bosses and family. The very rich and

What’s in a Name?

What’s in a Name?

Names are very important in the Bible. Children’s names often reflected a physical characteristic of the baby or a hope the parents had for the coming child (Genesis 25:25, 1 Samuel 1:20). Often the name became a fitting description of the child as they grew up. When

Truth or Tradition

Truth or Tradition

Traditions in and of themselves are not bad. Some are God-honoring and can be helpful for us on our walk. Based on Jesus’ teaching, traditions can be acceptable as part of our spiritual disciplines and in worship if they meet two broad qualifications: that they do not contradict Scripture and

How to Repent

Psalm 51 is one of King David’s penitential Psalms where he prayed to God as a result of sin. There are six of these in the Psalms (Psalm 6, 32, 38, 51, 130 and 148). We do not know the exact occasion for any of them except for Psalm

Is Jesus Really the Messiah?

Is Jesus Really the Messiah?

As Christians, we claim that Jesus is the Messiah, that He was sent by God the Father to save all those who believe in Him from their sin. Why do we believe that Jesus is the Messiah? The Bible testifies to the fact that many even in Jesus’ day claimed

What is Justification?

What is Justification?

Imagine a courtroom scene for a crime. The jury has just come back into the room with their verdict, and everyone is waiting to hear what they will say because a guilty verdict will carry a hard sentence for the defendant. The prosecutor and defense attorney both presented very strong

Doctrine Leads to Devotion

Doctrine Leads to Devotion

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?’ ‘Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?

The World is Scary

The World is Scary

“The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue.” – Psalm 33:16-17 The world can be a scary place. There are wars, racial unrest,

The Conditional Love of God

The Conditional Love of God

When the Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, God warned them that if they followed the evil ways of the people, He would take them out of the land, and He would cause them to be overtaken by other countries (Deuteronomy 29:25-28). The books of 1 and

Is Christianity Fact or Opinion?

Is Christianity Fact or Opinion?

If you want to start a dispute, find two baseball fans and ask them who the best Major League Baseball pitcher of all time is. This question will almost certainly start a dispute because each person will have their own opinion of what “best” means. But if you ask those

God is Our Refuge

God is Our Refuge

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings, I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by.” – Psalm 57:1 What do you think of when you think of a refugee? You might

The Importance of Hermeneutics

The Importance of Hermeneutics

I remember hearing a story about Pearl Jam, one of the big bands of the 90s. One of their biggest songs called “Alive” is a painful autobiographical song written by the singer, Eddie Vedder. However, fans of the song heard the song as a song of inspiration and strength. They

The Difference Between Antinomianism and Legalism in a Christian’s Life

The Difference Between Antinomianism and Legalism in a Christian’s Life

When it comes to the Christian life, there are two opposite but dangerous errors when it comes to understanding the law – antinomianism and legalism. Antinomianism is the teaching that since Jesus fulfilled the law, we have no law to follow and are free to do anything we want. Legalism is

God Is Not Like Us

God Is Not Like Us

“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your

The Trinity

The Trinity The Trinity is the biblical concept that God exists as three Divine Persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The purpose of this article is not to be a comprehensive study of the doctrine of the Trinity. The basic goals of this article are 1) to

The Prosperity Gospel

The Prosperity Gospel

It has been said that one of America’s biggest exports is the spread of the prosperity gospel. The teaching of the prosperity gospel is about how God wants most for His people is health and wealth, that He will bless you financially and in other worldly ways based on

I Am What I Am

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.” – 1 Corinthians 15:10 When did