A commonly asked question is, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Though Jesus Himself (Luke 18:19) and Scripture (Romans 3:10-12) remind us that no one but God is truly good, from a human point of view, we can rightly judge that some people are closer to representing God's goodness with their lives than... Continue Reading →
In the second half of 2 Samuel, we read about the remainder of King David's life, including his problems and successes. Absolam, his son, revolts against him and tries to become king in David's place. We also learn about a few other of David's victories that he enjoyed. As the end of his life drew... Continue Reading →
An Uncomfortable Conversation Steph (my wife) and I were riding in the car when she asked a question that caught me off guard. Almost instantly, I felt embarrassment and shame rise up in my body—my face got warm, and I could feel the clammy tension that comes when you know you’ve been exposed. “I was... Continue Reading →
Read Psalm 23:1-6 You could do a virtual dive via a quick Google search to see what songs are considered to have defined your generation. As a millennial (someone born between 1981-1996), the artists that provided the background music for our adolescent years range from the Spice Girls, Blink 182, and Nelly to Taylor Swift... Continue Reading →
Unlike the Oakland Athletics of this year's MLB season, the A's of 1990 was a beast of a team. The Athletics were appearing in their third straight World Series, having swept the Giants the year before. Their roster included four future Hall of Famers, not including the Bash Brothers pair of Mark McGwire and Jose... Continue Reading →
Nothing was more exhilarating to say but deflating to hear than the phrase "King me!" when playing checkers as a child. Saying the words gave me a sense of accomplishment and hope even if down several pieces, and nothing caused more apprehension than my opponent saying the words, "King Me!" feeling like they had gained... Continue Reading →
Directly before the book of Judges, the text of Joshua ends with a covenant renewal ceremony. In Joshua 24, Joshua gathers all the tribes of Israel together at a place called Shechem and begins recounting all of the amazing things God has done, starting with how he used Abraham to create the nation of Israel,... Continue Reading →
In part one of this two-week focus on the Shema, we concluded that since there is one God who has revealed Himself to us through Scripture, He alone is worthy of our worship. When attending the Student Weekend this past weekend, the speaker gave the following definition of worship. "Worship is being preoccupied with God... Continue Reading →
Growing up, I never did Black Friday shopping, but my wife convinced me to go with her once early in our marriage. I will never forget the site as we pulled into the parking lot of Target. It was dark and freezing cold, yet, the faint light from the light poles provided enough visibility to... Continue Reading →
Introduction to Leviticus This third book of our Bible continues the instructions given to Moses by God at Mount Sinai. Leviticus can be a book of the Bible that we can struggle to read through since it contains instructions for animal sacrifices, seemingly strange civil laws, and purification rituals, among other things. However, the big... Continue Reading →