Discussion of a biblical passage or topic.
As modern-day Christians, we often reflect with thankfulness that we no longer have to keep all the rules and regulations God’s people followed under the Law of Moses. Yet we should remember that we serve the same God as the Old Testament Israelites. When God judged and punished His people, it was not because they failed to observe some fine point of the Law. His wrath came because they neglected and rejected His most basic…
Lydia said, “How can we trust the Bible anymore? They keep coming up with all these new Bibles, and they’re changing it.” Ruby and I shared a picnic table with Lydia and her friend Amy after a long October day exploring the booths at the St. James Art Show in Louisville, Kentucky. Lydia and Amy (not their real names) were strangers to us, but our conversation was friendly and wide-ranging on family, the state of…
I recently watched a YouTube interview by David Perell with the poet Dana Gioia. Though I hadn’t heard of Gioia before, I was struck by his depth of knowledge and love for language. He mentioned that while reading; he records memorable lines and ideas in what he calls Commonplace Books. I love that concept—especially when it comes to reading the Bible. Gioia’s habit reminded me how powerful it is to retain what moves us—whether by…
The book of Acts tells the story of how the church of Jesus Christ was established and began to spread, just as He promised in Matthew 16:18. If you read Acts carefully, you’ll notice how often baptism appears whenever someone responds in faith and repentance to the gospel. In fact, the words baptism and baptized appear twenty-two times in Acts. A study of those passages would be valuable, but here I want to explore something…
We live in an age where division and violence seem to touch every corner of the world. Some individuals have taken it upon themselves to act as judge and executioner, killing those whose ideas or behavior they deem evil—and disturbingly, others justify these actions. But this is not righteousness; it is the work of the demonic. The ongoing cycles of death and retribution we witness are not in humanity’s best interest—they are strategies of forces…
My March email mentioned I started teaching a class on the book of Ephesians. We completed Ephesians, and the book’s last chapter focused on the warning that we’re in a war against an array of wicked spiritual beings led by the devil. Our enemy’s objective is to steal, kill, and destroy. What tactics does the devil use to achieve these objectives? Matthew 4 describes the devil’s temptation of Jesus, and the passage provides insight into…
In mid-March, I resumed doing one of my all-time favorite things, teaching adult Bible class. I alternate with another teacher, and now it’s my turn! We’re studying the New Testament book of Ephesians. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in the city of Ephesus while he was in prison in Rome. Paul is a fitting example for us, in pursuing his purpose and being concerned about others even when things are going bad for…
One of the most moving expressions of faith that soars with confidence when disaster strikes and the worse is still to come is found in the Old Testament book of Habakkuk. I heard, and my inner parts trembled; At the sound, my lips quivered. Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble; Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will attack us. Even if the fig tree does not blossom, And there is no fruit on the vines, If the yield of the olive fails, And the fields produce no food, Even if the flock disappears from the…
Why are we here? Why is anything here? Right before Jesus suffered arrest, a sham trial, torture, and crucifixion, he prayed to God. The prayer is recorded in the New Testament in John chapter 17. The prayer includes these words, “And now You, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.” (John 17:5 NAS) This verse shows Jesus existed with God before the world was created and that Jesus desired to return to…
We normally think of Jesus’s parables as teaching tools to help the hearers understand spiritual concepts. Yet, in Matthew 13 Jesus’s disciples ask why he speaks to the people in parables, and his answer is that he uses the figurative languages of parables so the people would not understand. Doesn’t that seem surprising? In some cases Jesus used parables to separate serious learners from casual listeners. See what he says in verses 13-15. Matthew 13:13-15 …