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Articles and blog posts from Wednesday in the Word. The podcast about what the Bible means and how we know.
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Love & Hate
How can the apostle John say love is a mark of believers and hate is a mark of non-believers? Even a cursory examination reveals that believers hate and non-believers love.
5 Questions to Identify a Cult
How do you recognize a group which claims to represent genuine, apostolic Christianity but in reality does not? Here are 5 questions that separate “the sheep” from “the wolves.”
7 Marks of False Teachers
I blog frequently on tips and tools for improving your Bible study skills, but what about discernment when listening to others?
Judging other believers
If a local church developed a schism such that it divided into opposing camps, both camps might be tempted to judge the other side using 1 John 2:9-:11. But the Apostle John did not write these verses to be a club to condemn each other.
God is light
In 1 John, the Apostle John is writing to clarify the true gospel from the false gospels spreading through the early church. His first point is God is holy and you are not.
Are older women invisible in the church?
Is “youth focused Christianity may be sidelining the gifts of older women”? In a sea of artful hipsters, older women feel invisible and overlooked.
Why calling does not begin with marriage
Does God have a “one-plan-fits-all” calling for women: marry, conceive children, raise children and become a grandmother?
The purpose of 2 John and 3 John
2 & 3 John contain the same ideas as 1 John. So what was the purpose of these short letters?
What does it mean to abide in Christ?
Understanding what it means to “abide in Christ” is one of the major themes of 1 John.
Agreeing with Young Atheists
When Larry Alex Taunton of Fixed Point Foundation explored why many American college students are atheists, a “composite sketch” emerged — which I found I agreed with.
Who are you listening to?
Today we often seek preachers who tell us stories, make us laugh, and tickle our ears with poetry and platitudes. We would rather listen to Jon Stewart than Jonathan Edwards. We ought to think critically about how far we have slipped down the slope of valuing style over substance.
Observations on the Empty Nest
Random comments on life after children fly the nest.
Resentment: a biblical lesson
How do you handle it when life isn’t fair? It’s easy to grow frustrated with our own lot in life and resent those who seem to have it better. Consider the story of Miriam.
Rethinking the 20s
My grandmother remarked that when she was 20 marriage was the adventure — for both men and women — and career was a icing on the cake. Now education and achievement are considered the adventure while marriage (indeed any long-term relationship) is an afterthought. But it’s not working.
Women’s Retreat Survival Kit
A conference I attended gave each participant this simple and heartwarming “Conference Survival kit” which contained the following items and Scripture.
Easter celebrations
In the midst of all these glorious Easter celebrations — however appropriate they are — it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that Easter calls for humility and repentance.
Lance Armstrong and fallen heroes
Fallen heroes teach us that we need more than an earthly hero. Throughout biblical history, God gave us fallen heroes and failed solutions to prepare us for the only solution that works.
Solomon’s wisdom and last resorts
Solomon had real wisdom to offer a broken world. Yet, he failed to learn the most important lesson: Solomon valued the gift of wisdom more than the Giver of the gift.
The Vow of Jephthah
The story is tragic in part because he expected an animal, but also because his vow reveals his lack of faith in God.
Where was the manger and what was the inn?
You have seen, heard, and sung the Christmas story so often you can recite the details by heart. Most of what you know is likely “cultural mythology.”
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.
NT Wright and Eleanor Bramwell
Are we to believe NT Wright, like Dr. Bramwell, is the first to get it right? Should we so easily brush away “centuries of theological tradition”? Chronological snobbery cuts both ways.
Prayer and rain: Does God answer prayer?
Why should I have confidence that God answers my prayers? According to James, I have confidence that my prayers will be answered because of who is answering my prayer, not because my prayer is perfect, powerful or articulate.
Questioning desire
Desires play a key role in the life of faith. The question is how we handle our desires and whether we are willing to listen to what God says about them.
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