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 →
Week 17 – God, My Shepherd (Psalm 23)
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 →
Week 16 – David and Goliath
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 →
Week 15 – King Me!
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 →
Faith is not Genetic (Judges)
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 →
Week 13: Sold Out To God (The Shema, Part 2)
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 →
Week 11: The Holiness of God (Leviticus)
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 →
Week 10 – The Presence of God
My youngest loves to ask, "why?" I asked him while lying in bed with him the other night why did he like to ask why? His response was surprising for a three-year-old. Gavin said, "Cause I like to talk to people." His answer is more profound than we might think; even as a three-year-old child... Continue Reading →
Week 9 – The Ten Commandments (Part 2)
With four children, sometimes I feel as if I am more of a referee than a parent. I guess one could make the argument that being an effective referee is part of parenting, though. Regardless of how you view the role of referee in relationship to parenting, I often find myself quoting Jesus when trying... Continue Reading →
Week 8 – The Ten Commandments (Part 1)
Exodus 20:1-21 I was very blessed to grow up with great Bible teachers as a child. One of my all-time favorite teacher's name is Mike. I guess I was in his Sunday school class as a 4th or 5th grader though I am not sure. Mike was very creative, among other things, and I remember... Continue Reading →