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Latest Blog Posts from Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.

10 Jeremiah 23:9-33 Who should we listen to?

10 Jeremiah 23:9-33 Who should we listen to?

Feb 1, 2017

We live in a world of a million conflicting voices today. You can be constantly updated with tweets, texts, alerts and notifications. Which voice has authority? Which voice can be trusted? In Jeremiah 23:9-33, God addresses this issue of these different voices, criticizing those prophets who claim to speak for Him, but really don’t. In 23:1-8, the Lord called out Judah ’s political leaders; in this section He calls out her spiritual leaders.

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09 Jeremiah 23:1-8 Who will help us out of this mess?

09 Jeremiah 23:1-8 Who will help us out of this mess?

Jan 25, 2017

Today’s leaders promise hope and change only to deliver corruption and scandal. We elect bright promising outsiders who go to Washington and immediately become insiders. They cease fighting for the ideals they promised in the campaign and start fighting to keep themselves in power. Who can make things right? Who will help us out of this mess?

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20 2 Samuel 19 David Restored as King

20 2 Samuel 19 David Restored as King

Jan 18, 2017

With Absalom dead, Joab blows the trumpet to end the battles and the civil war is over. Except David is still in exile. Now we have a guilty nation and a vindicated king, and the question that remains is how to restore the relationship. How do you approach your king after you’ve been sinful or rebellious?

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19 2Samuel 18 The Death of Absalom

19 2Samuel 18 The Death of Absalom

Jan 11, 2017

2 Samuel 18 is the climatic battle for the throne. But instead of highlighting the ferocity of the battle, the spotlight focuses on David’s anxiety over his son, and how the news of Absalom’s death impacts him, especially when he learns that the price of rebellion is the death of his son. It is a price David cannot bear to pay, but it is a price God pays for us. David’s grief gives us a glimpse of the price our heavenly father was willing to pay on our behalf.

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18 2Samuel 17 Hushai’s Warning Saves David

18 2Samuel 17 Hushai’s Warning Saves David

Jan 4, 2017

As we’ve studied the rebellion of Absalom, we’ve been asking what we can learn about responding when we sin, understanding the discipline of our heavenly father, and how to respond when suffering unjustly. With 2 Samuel 17 we focus on these questions from God’s perspective.

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17 2Samuel 16 David flees Jerusalem

17 2Samuel 16 David flees Jerusalem

Dec 21, 2016

How should you respond when suffering unjustly? As David flees Jerusalem, he is used and abused by two members of Saul’s family. We can learn from his example how to bear unjust suffering.

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16 2Samuel 15 Absalom’s Conspiracy

16 2Samuel 15 Absalom’s Conspiracy

Dec 14, 2016

What do you do when you fail in a big way and your failure matters? Your mistake has big consequences for other people? How should you respond? That’s the situation David is facing in our story today.

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15 2Samuel 14 Absalom Returns

15 2Samuel 14 Absalom Returns

Dec 7, 2016

The conflict between appearance and reality is the theme of our story today. As we’ll see, what appears to be wisdom and repentance is not.

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Narratives: how to understand OT stories

Narratives: how to understand OT stories

Dec 4, 2016

Narratives are true stories. Over 40% of the Old Testament Scriptures are narratives. Generally, the purpose of a biblical narrative is to show the Lord at work in His creation. Every genre found in the Bible presents unique challenges for understanding. Narratives are no exception. With narratives we think in scenes, plot and character, rather than paragraphs and outlines.

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14 2Samuel 13 The rape of Tamar

14 2Samuel 13 The rape of Tamar

Nov 30, 2016

The sins of David’s sons repeat and magnify David’s sin. David’s crime was against the wife of a friend. Amnon sins against a sister. The consequences of the first were death of a husband and baby. The consequences of the second was civil war. But why do the consequences fall so heavily on Tamar?

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Rebellion of Absalom: 2Samuel 13-19

Rebellion of Absalom: 2Samuel 13-19

Nov 29, 2016

The tragic story of Absalom’s rebellion to his father King David brings about the fulfillment of God’s judgment that “the sword will never leave his house (2 Samuel 12:10-12) .” The sins of David’s sons repeat and magnify David’s sin. David’s crime was against the wife of a friend. Amnon sins against a sister. The consequences of the first were death of a husband and baby. The consequences of the second was civil war.

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Galatians Bible Study Resources

Galatians Bible Study Resources

Nov 23, 2016

Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul argues that there is one voice to listen to above all others and that is the voice that speaks the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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08 Jeremiah 20:7-18 Why is life so hard?

08 Jeremiah 20:7-18 Why is life so hard?

Nov 16, 2016

We all come to a place at one time or another where we ask the question, “Why is my life so hard? Why do I have to endure this particular problem or experience this pain or go through this situation?” In Jeremiah 20:7-19, we see Jeremiah reach that place. He hits rock bottom and cries out asking, why his life was so hard.

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07 Jeremiah 18:1-17 Who does God think He is?

07 Jeremiah 18:1-17 Who does God think He is?

Nov 9, 2016

One of the most common complaints is that the God of the Bible doesn’t seem to be very “fair.” We come from different backgrounds, we have different accents and we have different gifts and opportunities. And we look at that and ask, “Is God fair?”

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Marks of False Teachers

Marks of False Teachers

Nov 2, 2016

A vital part of your Bible study arsenal is learning to recognize false teachers. Here are three interesting lists — both modern and classic — on how to discern a true teacher from a false teacher. Notice the similarities.

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06 Jeremiah 17:19-27 Does it matter if I take a break?

06 Jeremiah 17:19-27 Does it matter if I take a break?

Oct 26, 2016

I suspect many of believers today are convinced that Sabbath still means something but have no idea what it is. You take the Bible seriously, you sincerely want to follow and obey God, but in this particular instance you have no idea how to begin, what to do or what not to do. What can we learn from Jeremiah about Sabbath?

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05 Jeremiah 17:1-11 What is wrong with me?

05 Jeremiah 17:1-11 What is wrong with me?

Oct 19, 2016

What do you do when you sin repeatedly? What do you do when you see something about yourself that you decide to change, you give it your best effort, and you don’t change? What’s wrong with us? Jeremiah gives 3 metaphors to explain the problem of our hearts.

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04 Jeremiah 7:1-15 What is wrong with religion?

04 Jeremiah 7:1-15 What is wrong with religion?

Oct 12, 2016

Religion should make a difference in our lives. By “religion,” I mean the set of outward behavior, practices, ethics and rituals that we do or avoid doing to mark ourselves as believers. Believing in God means we ought to love and value what God loves and values, and therefore we ought not to be nicer to each other. Yet, religion doesn’t seem to solve all the problems we think it ought to solve. What is wrong with religion? Why doesn’t it make more difference?

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03 Jeremiah 2:1-13 Why is God so difficult to believe in?

03 Jeremiah 2:1-13 Why is God so difficult to believe in?

Sep 28, 2016

Why is God so difficult to believe in? We want control. We explain away His gifts and provision. We want a predictable god who doesn’t surprise us. The God of Scripture is complicated and does not answer all our questions. We are afraid the hope of the gospel is too good to be true. The truth is that God is really not hard to believe in. The problem is that it is our hearts that are fickle.

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What to observe in Bible study

What to observe in Bible study

Sep 7, 2016

Once a friend confessed: “I know an essential step of any Bible study is observation. But what am I suppose to observe?” So glad you asked! Sometimes we take this step for granted when teaching on how to study the Bible, but observation is a skill we learn and practice like any other.

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Jeremiah Bible Study Resources

Jeremiah Bible Study Resources

Aug 28, 2016

Jeremiah Bible Study Resources: Tools and resources to kick start your study of the Old Testament book of Jeremiah from WednesdayintheWord.com

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Heaven and those who have gone before us

Heaven and those who have gone before us

Aug 24, 2016

The prevailing belief of the world is that “You go around once and then you die.” Yet, the remarkable claim of the Christian faith is that those who have died are more alive today than they were before their deaths. “If I die and go to heaven, what is it going to be like?” “Someone close to me died, where do I turn for comfort?” “If I die, will I go to a better place?” Professor Ken Elzinga answers these questions.

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Jeremiah’s Ministry Chronology

Jeremiah’s Ministry Chronology

Aug 20, 2016

Jeremiah was a prophet to the southern kingdom of Judah who wrote the book of Jeremiah. His name means “exaltation of the Lord.” Below is a basic chronology of his 40+ year ministry.

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Understanding Prophecy

Understanding Prophecy

Aug 17, 2016

Studying biblical prophecy is an often overwhelming task. Much of it is written in Hebrew poetry. The names and places are foreign, and the metaphors don’t always resonate with our modern ears. Yet we can usually understand the main point. If studying an Old Testament prophet overwhelms you, here are some tips to get you started.

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Guest Teacher: Ken Elzinga

Guest Teacher: Ken Elzinga

Aug 10, 2016

The talks in this collection were given by one of my role models Ken Elzinga to various audiences over several years. Professor Elzinga is a famous economist and the Robert C. Taylor Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia. He is also a very wise man.

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Psalm 109 Vengeance invoked upon adversaries

Psalm 109 Vengeance invoked upon adversaries

Jul 20, 2016

Lecture notes for Psalm 109 which is used by Peter to describe Judas in Acts 2:16-20: “the Scriptures had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas”

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