Too Often We Place Our Personal Needs Over What God Is at Work Doing When Jesus’s friend Lazarus dies, Jesus goes to where the man is interred and, with a dramatic flair, raises him from the dead. When the people see this miracle of miracles, many believe in Jesus. Bringing someone back to life is […]
In Ezekiel’s Day the People Did What God Detested In the eighth chapter of Ezekiel, God takes the prophet to Jerusalem to see the area around the temple. Each place God takes him, Ezekiel looks and sees the people doing things God abhors. God says he’ll drive them from his sanctuary. After several recurrences, the […]
Too Many People Are Spiritual Consumers Who Pursue a Retail Religion This idea of receiving services influences our church selection process. Seldom do people look for a church that gives them the opportunity to serve. Instead they look for a church for the benefits it provides: the music, the message, and the ministries. They’re church […]
Helping Our Neighbors Should Be More Important Than Following Religious Rules A man comes up to Jesus. The guy’s an expert in Jewish law. Today we might call him a theologian. He asks Jesus a question, “What should I do to earn eternal life?” The answer is simple. There are two steps. Love God and […]
Some People Needlessly Bring Opposition Upon Themselves In many parts of the world religious oppression is an everyday reality that affects adherents’ ability to move about freely, earn an income, and purchase life’s necessities. A deep religious hatred limits the daily freedom for some people of faith. Their unwavering devotion to what they believe only […]
Move from asking “What Would Jesus Do?” to asking “What Did Jesus Do?” The phrase “What Would Jesus Do?” was popularized in the 1990s. Often epitomized by colorful bracelets that bore the acronym WWJD, the concept was intended to serve as a constant reminder for followers of Jesus to act as he would act. Therefore, […]
Why Do We Do What We Do? I have a compulsion that irritates people, especially in religious circles. I ask, “Why?” I need to know why we do the things we do. What reason is behind them? Is there a biblical justification? Or is it a manmade tradition that has become meaningless ritual? For example, […]
An increasing number of people say that they are “spiritual but not religious.” For some this is merely a trendy thing to say, but beyond making them sound hip and appear insightful, it is an empty platitude. For others, claiming to be “spiritual but not religious” is an attempt to abdicate responsibility for their behavior […]
Much of my life I have struggled with going to church. It’s not that I’ve been in a crisis of faith, but more a crisis of religion—or, as some would call it, religiosity. Church attendance has not been faith confirming for me as much as faith confounding. My spiritual journey and growth happen largely in […]
Welcome to “Pursuing Biblical God,” a conversation about spirituality from a biblical perspective. Here are some thoughts to get our party started: What makes me qualified to embark upon such a grandiose endeavor? Only that I am on a journey in pursuit of the God who is revealed in the Bible, the God who created […]