An Introduction to 52 Churches “Where do you go to church?” Oh, how I dread that question. It isn’t that I don’t go to church or am too embarrassed to answer. Instead, my frustration comes from the scowls I receive as I fumble through my reply. No matter what I say, I cause confusion. This […]
Psalm 169 from Beyond Psalm 150 David’s son Solomon replaces his father as king and prepares to build the temple for God. In addition to the materials David had already stockpiled, Solomon requests cedar logs, other resources, and a skilled artist from Hiram (Huram), king of Tyre. King Hiram is pleased to assist and responds in […]
Moses Commands a Lasting Ordinance In addition to an exciting narrative of escape from Egypt followed by the people’s struggles, the book of Exodus also contains specific instructions to God’s chosen people. It’s difficult for most of us today to connect with some of this teaching. Such is the case with today’s passage. Let’s consider, […]
Today’s passage: 1 John 3:6–10 Focus verse: The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. (1 John 3:8) Our passage for the day is one that troubles most people. It talks about sin. John writes that when Jesus lives in us, we won’t keep on sinning. If we know him, we can’t. […]
People Too Often Make Unreasonable Demands of Their Church Leaders Surveys confirm that many ministers are overwhelmed, burnt out, and unhappy with their work. Many of them think about leaving the ministry, and some do. They reason that there are better ways to earn a living, and they’re probably right. A big reason for this […]
Move toward a Biblical Approach of Speaking the Truth in Love In a world as divisive as ours, can Christians ever find middle ground on LGBTQ+ issues? Perhaps, if you’re willing to marry Biblical truths with grace and love in a nonjudgmental way that the extremes on both sides of the aisles have failed to […]
The Allure of Something Fresh After a year or so of attending The Nonconventional Church, we receive a series of captivating postcards about a new church that will soon launch in our community. I soon call them the Postcard Church. I’m intrigued and want to learn more. My wife doesn’t. Though they’re part of a […]
Psalm 168 from Beyond Psalm 150 As the book of 2 Samuel winds down, so does David’s life. In the penultimate chapter, we read David’s final recorded words. In this short psalm of praise, David recites the words God spoke to him, affirming David’s godly character and righteous reign. Yahweh’s Spirit spoke by me. His word […]
With the Pharaoh out to get him, Moses flees for his life. He marries the shepherdess Zipporah, daughter of the priest of Midian (Exodus 2:21-22). They have two sons: Gershom and Eliezer.q Years later when Moses and his family travel to Egypt, God afflicts Moses. This is apparently because Moses had not circumcised his son […]
Today’s passage: 1 John 3:4–5 Focus verse: But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. (1 John 3:5) John reminds us that anyone who sins breaks the law. He’s talking about the law of Moses. Sin is something we all do. We’re all guilty of breaking God’s law. The Old Testament […]