Paul Shares Five Wise Maxims to Encourage Us and Give Comfort The phrase “a trustworthy saying” occurs five times in the Bible, all in the New Testament. They all come from Paul in his pastoral letters, four times to Timothy and once to Titus. Consider these five trustworthy sayings of the apostle Paul. 1. Jesus […]
The Summer Church Schedule Just down the road from the congregation that cancelled their service because of their summer church schedule is Church #8. We enjoyed our visit there but later realized it was solely because of one significant interaction we had after the service. The rest of the congregation ignored us, and little else […]
Psalm 179 from Beyond Psalm 150 The book of Job records dialogue between Job and his four friends. Each one offers him their perspective on the situation—through their limited theology. To varying degrees, all four assert that Job’s downfall is either his fault or God’s doing. Job disagrees, maintains his innocence, and proclaims God’s blamelessness. […]
The Bible is Full of Surprising Verses That We Will Do Well to Explore Sometimes I see things that surprise me when I read the Bible—things I think shouldn’t be there. One example is when God tells Jeremiah to not pray for the people of Judah. Wait, isn’t Judah part of God’s chosen people? Yes, […]
Today’s passage: 3 John 1:5–8 Focus verse: Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters. (3 John 1:5) John opens his letter to Gaius by affirming his faithfulness to the truth and his continuing to walk in it (3 John 1:3). Now John likewise affirms Gaius’s faithfulness in his service to […]
Christ Means Messiah and Isn’t His Last Name To hear many people talk about Jesus, they act as though Christ is his last name, as in Jesus Christ. It is not. It’s actually a descriptor. Reinforcing this confusion is that many versions of the Bible often say Jesus Christ. The Messiah Christ means Messiah. Jesus […]
A Failure to Communicate I enjoyed the worship at Church #27 and appreciated their charismatic demeanor. Yet I was also critical of most other aspects of their service. My wife said I had a bad attitude, with my perceptions tainted by a former member who had a painful experience there. He left scarred and disillusioned, […]
Psalm 178 from Beyond Psalm 150 Granted limited authorization by God, Satan afflicts Job, taking away his possessions and killing all ten of his children. Job humbles himself—tearing his robe and shaving his head. He falls to the ground and worships the Almighty. From the angst of his pain, he succinctly summarizes the arc of […]
Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly, and Hope in and Wait on God As the prophet Micah gives a series of stinging rebukes against the nations of Israel and Judah, he takes a pause for some personal reflection. As if keeping a journal, he wonders how he should approach God. With reverence, with offerings, with […]
Today’s passage: 3 John 1:1–4 Focus verse: I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. (3 John 1:4) John’s third letter is to his dear friend Gaius, a man John loves in the truth. Loving in the truth is the same affirmation he writes to the chosen lady in […]