I’ve Stopped Praying for Safety—And You Should Too
Growing up, I remember more than one man who, when appointed to lead Sunday morning’s closing prayer, would always conclude the final benediction along these lines: “and keep us all safe until the next appointed time.” What innocent-sounding heretics we are. Maybe I overstated that. But I want your attention. There’s nothing wrong with praying […]
Rejoice in Suffering for Your Faith
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12–13, NIV) Peter’s words are […]
Who Was Mary in the Bible?
Imagine! The promised Savior would be born to an insignificant young Jewish woman, Mary, from an insignificant little town, Nazareth. Very little is revealed about Mary’s upbringing and circumstances other than that she lived in Nazareth of Galilee. This fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy that the Savior would come from humble beginnings. However, Mary was […]
Summary of Hebrews: Understanding the Basics of Hebrews in the Bible
The book of Hebrews is a message written to a group of Jewish Christians who were on the brink of giving up their faith in Jesus and reverting to Judaism. It calls them to remain true to Jesus by demonstrating how Jesus fulfills Old Testament promises and is superior to Old Covenant worship and sacrifices. […]
Fear and the Men without Names
If you’ve been around the church for a while, you’ve probably heard the names Joshua and Caleb. They were brave men who heard the promises of God and followed Him even in the eyes of significant risk and danger. The other ten guys, well, not so much. Sure, they all technically had names; you can find them in Numbers […]
The Decisions That Transform Eternity
I never met the man, but I wish I could have. He was my great-grandfather on my mother’s and grandmother’s side of the family. I am told that he died when my grandmother was a baby in the early 1920s. The rub is that no one knows where he was buried. More than likely, it […]
God Parted the Red Sea. So, What Does That Mean for Me?
Which movie does the best job portraying the panic of seeing Pharaoh’s chariots closing in before God parted the Red Sea? Let’s do a multiple choice: The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston as Moses Prince of Egypt, starring Val Kilmer as Moses Exodus: Gods and Kings, starring Christian Bale as Moses Good question. But if we’re […]
Preaching That Engages the Skeptic: How (Part 3)
This is my third and final article on engaging the skeptic in our preaching. Let’s take a second to review: First, why do we need to engage the skeptic in our preaching? It’s because skepticism about Christianity is rising both inside and outside the church. That was Part 1. Second, what works and doesn’t work […]
