Performing external rituals does not change my sinful heart. There is only one way to be made clean.
05 Finding Fulfillment: How Christ Frees You from Counterfeit Spirituality (Colossians 2:4-15)
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Blog
Latest Blog Posts from Wednesday in the Word, the podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.
04 Riches of Assurance: Christ in You, the Hope of Glory (Colossians 1:24-2:3)
Paul is laboring to nurture a strong mature faith among his readers. He struggles to make the truth of the gospel crystal clear so that our understanding reaches settled conviction and full assurance such we have the courage to follow Jesus no matter what.
03 Why You Can’t Seek God and Avoid Christ (Colossians 1:13-23)
In perhaps the most explicit teaching on the Christ in the New Testament, Paul says: 1) all that we can know of God is seen in Jesus because the visible man Jesus reveals the invisible God to us, and 2) Jesus has priority in every way as the Father has given authority over all creation to Jesus. Written to a community in danger of leaving the gospel, Paul emphasizes that Christ and the cross are essential to getting the gospel right.
02 Where Hope Begins (Colossians 1:3-12)
Paul is thankful for what God has done in the Colossian church to bring about their faith and salvation through Jesus Christ which has resulted in their faith and love of their fellow believers. What has transformed their thinking and who they identify as their people is the hope which results from understanding and believing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
01 Introduction to Colossians (Colossians 1:1-2)
The first two verses of Colossians follow the typical greeting for a New Testament letter: the author(s), the recipient(s), greetings. Paul identifies what his readers should understand about him. Then he explains who he considers his readers to be, particularly in relationship to God.
06 1 Peter 3:8-17 Who is there to harm you?
Peter's main concern in this section is how we treat others, both inside and outside the family of God. But his point is a fuller richer picture than 'be nice.' His advice is fix your hope completely on the grace that is coming to you. And then be humble. Be...
Colossians Bible Study Resources
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study Paul’s epistle to the Colossians.
How Do I Choose a Bible Reading Plan I Won’t Quit?
Free Bible reading plans to help you read through the Bible. Choose from online and PDF plans including chronological and genre-mix.
Colossians: Getting the Gospel Right
If pressed could you discern the actual gospel of Jesus Christ from a counterfeit? Especially if the skewed message came from within mainstream evangelicalism?
10 Tips for cleaning your closet
I finally tackled the task of cleaning my clothes closet. In case you're also struggling with how to lighten your possessions, here are some of the criteria I used to decide what to keep and what to donate. I tossed clothes that met the following criteria: I bought...
How to Have a “Mary” (Not Martha) Christmas (Luke 10:38–42)
This December you can have a Mary Christmas or a Martha Christmas. Learn the difference.
How to Take the Bite out of Gift-giving
How can anything that fits under a Christmas tree transform the life of the recipient from misery to joy?
The Lord’s Prayer: we say it but what does it mean?
The more I study the Lord’s Prayer, the more I conclude the prayer asks for one and only one thing: that God would make us completely righteous once and for all.
Books of the Bible by date written
“When was it written?” Here’s the most likely order in which the books of the bible were written.
Kings of Israel and Judah
This chart summarizes the Kings of Israel and Judah from the crowning of Saul to the captivity of Judah.
Today is the fleeting moment
Have you ever seen those maps of the stars of the universe? The ones taken from space where there is no man-made light, so you can actually see the billions of stars? First, these photos impress you with the vastness of the universe and the number of stars is beyond...
Flying through impostor syndrome
Three "random" events this week converged into one life lesson. 1) I listened to my pastor's last sermon. We met when I was a college freshman and he was an intern at our church. Now he's retiring after 43 years as its pastor. I don't think I was present for his...
Understanding Epistles
Every genre found in the Bible presents unique challenges for understanding. Here are guidelines for studying epistles.
1 Peter Bible Study Resources
Maps, outlines and resources to expand your study of the Epistle of 1 Peter
1 Peter: Living as Aliens and Strangers
Peter wrote his first letter give his readers perspective on the big picture. The gospel (the big picture) has implications for each of those relationships and that is what this letter is about: how we respond to God and view ourselves in this world; how we respond to other believers who are walking this journey with us and how we respond to those who persecute and hate us.
Elzinga’s 4 Keys to Success in College
Headed to college? Wondering how to survive the experience? Here is advice from an expert.
James Bible Study Resources
Study questions, maps, charts, key words, history, background, outlines, and links to help you study
The #1 Mistake Christians Make When Interpreting the Bible
Discover the #1 mistake Christians make when interpreting Scripture
and how to avoid misreading the Bible’s true meaning by understanding context.
Hebrew Calendar explained
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.
Bible Maps, Charts & Tools List
Without the proper tools, your ability to do great Bible study is limited. On this one page, you’ll find links to websites, maps, charts, overviews, outlines, timelines encyclopedias, concordances and tips on how to use them.
How to Launch a Women’s Discipleship Program
Most women’s ministries offer a discipleship program at some point. While there is no “one size fits all” model for how to implement discipleship, here are some ideas to help you get started.
3 Retreat Sample Schedules
Planning a retreat means managing lots of details from logistics to decorations. Often the schedule gets overlooked or slapped together at the last minute. As a speaker, here are some sample schedules that I’ve seen work well for weekend retreats.
Spiritual Formation: a critical look
The theology of Spiritual Formation sounds great on paper, but it is focused on the wrong target, seeks the wrong kind of change and misses the mark on how disciplines work.
Prayer and Spiritual Formation: How does it work?
The biblical picture of prayer is not that it is a spiritual discipline that I use to reach a higher spiritual level. Rather prayer is an unavoidable mandatory battlefield in the war of faith.
4 People You Need to Improve your Teaching
4 people you need to improve your teaching: cheerleader, coach, critic, craftsman. Learn to find them, set expectations, and trust the team. Learn to find them, set expectations, and trust the team.
Does Spiritual Formation seek the right kind of change?
Not only does the theology of spiritual formation aim at the wrong target, spiritual formation seeks the wrong kind of change. While spiritual disciplines focus on success at outward righteous behavior, the Bible teaches that the goal of spiritual maturity is a strong unshakeable faith.
Is Spiritual Formation shooting at the right target?
The theology of Spiritual Formation sounds great on paper, but it is focused on the wrong target. Spiritual formation is “an intentional Christian practice with the goal of developing spiritual maturity that leads to Christ-likeness.” The central claim of...
Breaking the Huddle Syndrome
In modern American culture growing older seems to mean becoming invisible; unfortunately this trend is also infecting the church. Relegating older women to the nostalgia-bin is a symptom of “The Huddle Syndrome.” Fortunately, the Huddle Syndrome is easy to break.
Want to Teach the Bible? Read this First
So you’d like to teach the Bible? How do you get started? How do you decide if Bible teaching is your calling? Here’s my advice for aspiring teachers.
James: The Gospel in Shoe Leather
If I could sum up James, in one verse, it would be Luke 6:46: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” The central question of the book of James is: Are you living what you claim to believe?
What is worship?
If you think that worship equals singing, A Taste of Heaven: Worship in the Light of Eternity by RC Sproul is a must-read book for you.