Discussing Church 29 As we pull into the church parking lot, we realize our daughter attended preschool here, many years ago. What we don’t know is that we will experience a laity led service. Consider these four discussion questions about Church #29: 1. We amble in and one woman approaches us and mutters to herself, […]
Discussing Church 28 We learn of this church when we spot their name in a local paper’s church directory. Still, we struggle to confirm their meeting time. We expect to experience a liturgical church service. Consider these four discussion questions about Church #28: 1. We walk inside and a lady shares some basic information about […]
We Must Reform Our Behaviors Through the Lens of Scripture In the Bible we see example after example of Jesus extending love, grace, and mercy to people, especially those who are searching, who don’t fit in, and who the religious leaders reject. There’s only one group of people who Jesus regularly criticizes. Who might that […]
Whether or not we realize it, all aspects of our lives include traditions: unexamined habits and mindless rituals. But perhaps traditions most often exist in our approach to God and our worship of him. While some traditions had a positive origin, others were misguided from the start. With little thought we pass our traditions from […]
Although the terminology and even the timing vary between the various Christian traditions and perspectives, a generality is that first, someone decides to follow Jesus and then the Holy Spirit is given to guide and direct them. While each stream of Christian thought assigns different terms to these events and has a diversity of understanding […]
In The Error of the Sadducees and Pharisees, it was noted that the Pharisees’ mistake was adding to the Bible and then esteeming their additions as more important. Jesus notes that they break God’s commands in order to keep their own, man-made traditions (that is, the religious rules they added to the Bible). He then […]
In the book of Matthew, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for placing their traditions ahead of God’s commands. From our perspective, in a different time and culture, it is easy for us to see their error. However, we likely do the same type of thing and are blind to it. What might some of those traditions […]