Numerous Christian websites publish their “Top Books” list during this time of year. Rather than a “Top 10” list, however, I’ll encourage you to consider reading the following in the year to come. 1. Sipping Saltwater: How to Find Lasting Satisfaction in a World of Thirst – Steve Hoppe We all have a thirst for paradise that…
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Jesus said the two greatest commands are: to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39). Our best energy should be used in the pursuit of these two commands. I want to take a moment to offer one reflection on how to do that. Take a…
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There are subtle ways we functionally abandon Scripture’s authority. We’ve been looking at those over the past few weeks. Way #4: Reading books about the Bible more than one reads the Bible When it’s stated like this, it’s a head-scratcher. But for how many of us, is this true? Spending more time reading books about…
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There are subtle ways we functionally abandon Scripture’s authority. We’ve been looking at those in my previous two posts. Let’s consider another, m0re complicated and little known, way today… Way #3: Unfamiliarity with historical theology I need to define “historical theology”. I’m sure you would agree there were Christians who lived in the 1800’s and…
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I think most Bible-believing Christians espouse the supreme authority of Scripture in their lives and the world. But, “the devil is in the details” as the cliche goes. Our doctrinal statements on this topic are usually just fine. Where we err is in daily practice. There are subtle ways we functionally abandon Scripture’s authority. In…
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I think most Bible-believing Christians espouse the supreme authority of Scripture in their lives and the world. But, “the devil is in the details” as the cliche goes. Our doctrinal statements on this topic are usually just fine. Where we err is in daily practice. There are subtle ways we functionally abandon Scripture’s authority. I’ll…
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We live in a “fix it” society. I was reminded just how oriented we are to that the other day when our dryer decided to start screaming like a banshee. It was broken. What did we do? Call a phone number for the repair person. Have a scratch on your car? Here’s some touch-up paint….
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It seems to me like many of us are in pursuit of “going viral.” Take YouTube videos for instance. Everybody wants a million views. What is that? Where does that desire come from? Is it a form of approval? or popularity? or power? Or how about “Facebook Likes”? Same thing? Since not many of us will…
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God wants us to think about the shortness of our lives (Psalm 90:12; James 4:14). He wants us to ponder eternity (1 Pet. 1:3-9). Being a pastor allows me the privilege of staying close to suffering, sickness, and death. Yes, it’s a privilege. And without fail, it provides numerous opportunities for reflection. Here are a few…
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Christians throw around Bible jargon often, but do we stop to look closely how Scripture defines those words? So far we have considered: justification, sanctification, and redemption. We’ll do one more today: repentance. As always, we must start with Scripture to construct a definition of the term. The very first person to use the term…
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