Every genre found in the Bible presents unique challenges for understanding. Here are guidelines for studying epistles.
Throwback
#TBT – Hebrew Calendar
When studying the Old Testament, dates can be a source of confusion, especially when they switch between the Jewish name and the Babylonian name in the same story. Here are my reference tables.
#TBT: Why I love the Bible and hate sermons
I can spend 20 hour a week in Bible study without complaint but I’d rather shovel rocks than sit through most 20 minute sermons. Transformation without information has all the nourishment of whipped cream.
#TBT: The Dividing Line
The Apostle Paul divides humanity by one thing: those who belong to God and those who don’t. It is the only distinction that matters.
#TBT Are congregations a means to an end or a flock to shepherd? 3 examples
What happens when pastors start looking at their congregation as a means to an end instead of a flock to shepherd? Consider these real-life examples of the ways 3 different churches went about seeking volunteers.
#TBT Sin and academic perfection
All through my academic career I rubbed shoulders with people smarter than I. The standard was always higher than I could reach, no matter how I hard I tried. Holiness is like that. The problem is that the standard of holiness is not my neighbor, the standard is the holiness of God.
#TBT Observations on the empty nest
Thoughts on life after children fly the nest.
#TBT: What to pray when you don’t know what to pray for
Think about what you’d wish for if you had a genie. Think about what you pray for. How similar are they? As Christians, we often approach God in prayer as if He were a big blue genie. Contrast “prayer as wish-fulfillment” with the Apostle Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1.
#TBT Who is better off: the rich or the poor?
For “throwback Thursday” here is one of my favorite passages for James. In James 1:9-18, James raises a new question as an example of how understanding the gospel changes your perspective: Who is really better off: the rich or the poor?
#TBT You won’t always be pretty
My birthday reminded me of this 2014 post on Romans 5:1-11 (one of my all time favorite passages). You won’t always be pretty, but once you are justified by faith, you will always have reason to exat in the hope of the glory of God.