Reading the Bible Requires Rules We Already Know
“It’s easy to misinterpret the Bible when you don’t follow basic rules of interpretation. Therefore, I’ve offered the approach of asking three questions when reading any passage: What is the author talking about in the surrounding text (context)? What is the historical occasion for why the author wrote (history)? What literary style is the passage written in (genre)? On occasion, I’m accused of making Bible study more complex than it needs to be. People suggest I’m creating rules to interpret Scripture…
The Wisdom in Restraining our Lips
”With social media, a quick response to someone else’s words is primed for us. There’s a box below their post for us to type out our comments and publish them immediately. There’s a retweet or share button with the option of including our own thoughts in tandem with theirs. Articles come with share buttons littered all around, followed by a comment section at the end. We likewise have the ease to publish our own thoughts on a blog or a…
Would it be Okay for me to be Angry with God?
“It felt like a test—a test of my faith, a test of my convictions, a test of my love for God. Soon, very soon, after I learned that my son had died, I received a message from an old acquaintance. Her intentions were good—she wanted to offer consolation. But her instructions were suspect—she wanted me to rage against God. Paraphrasing one of her favorite authors she said “It’s okay to be angry with God about this. It’s okay to tell…
This is How He Carries You
“Dear weary sister, whatever you face today, tomorrow, or whatever continues to weigh you down from the past, God will carry you through it all. He’s not giving up or abandoning us. So lean into his strength. Rest in God’s power. Trust in the One who loved us enough to carry the weight of our sin on his shoulders. He bore the fullness of God’s wrath on the cross so we could be set free. Rejoice that even now Jesus…
God Wants You to Call Him “My Father”
“We will never understand why our creator and rescuer would want to serve us, forgive us, be with us, and be called “my father.” But it is true. Your God is eager for you to. He loves it. It pleases him.” Read more…
How Formal Membership Makes the Church a Family
“Every church has a sense of membership. Every church has some kind of idea of who is a part of that congregation and who is not. But in some churches the distinction between the church and the world is blurry, while in others that distinction is more clearly defined. The life of the church may feel more natural and organic in church without formal membership—but it’s the organic relationships of a commune, not a family. Communes are just people who happen to live near…
I Fear God, and I’m Afraid of God
“Perhaps the reality is that I fear God in a new way. Before I understood he had power, but now I know he has power. Before I knew God would exercise his power in giving what I love, but now I know God will also exercise his power in taking what I love. Before life was easy because God’s sovereignty always seemed inclined toward the things I wanted anyway, but now life is hard because I see that God’s sovereignty may also…
When Saying I’m Sorry is Selfish
“Sometimes “I’m sorry” is a selfish thing to say. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? After all, repentance is a cornerstone of the Christian walk, right? Sadly, I can assure you that it is indeed quite possible to spout humble-sounding words of apology more in self-protection than in real repentance aimed at real reconciliation. The basic dynamic of phony repentance works like this: I say I’m sorry in an effort to make the “offended” person feel better about me or to make me feel…
Plan to be Interrupted
“Once God turns our lives upside down, he doesn’t stop using interruptions (large or small) for our good. Through them, he chastens our pride, slows our pace, opens our eyes, bends us toward dependence, and teaches us to trust. He reminds us that he is not after our maximum efficiency, but instead our maximum conformity to Christ, who was never too busy, too preoccupied, or too impatient to be interrupted. If we know all that God does through interruptions, we…
A Simple Strategy for Meditating on God’s Word
“Don’t just read the Bible and rush on. Take what God is saying into your life. Do this for a few minutes every day, or at least start by doing this a few times a week. As you do this, you will get better at it. God’s Word will bear fruit in your life.” Read more…