-
How to Choose a Bible Study for a Group
Are you thinking ahead and wondering what study to do next with your Bible study group? Maybe you are praying about starting a Bible study group and need to know where to begin. Choosing a quality Bible study guide for your group can make your experience either a great one or a frustrating one. This is especially true if you are leading the lessons. In this post, I will share with you some valuable suggestions for choosing a Bible study workbook for your group. Start with Prayer Ask Jesus to help you to choose a quality Bible study for your group. Depend on Him to show you what to do.…
-
Approaching Advent
-
Lessons from the Gospel of Luke
My publisher (AMG) has just added Latte with Luke to Mocha on the Mount, Java with the Judges, Espresso with Esther…. This seven-week study in Luke’s Gospel makes number twelve in my Coffee Cup Bible Study series. With this release the series re-launches with a great new cover and, even more fun, the endorsement of fellow bible.org contributor, Kelley Mathews, on the front cover. What’s in it for you, my faithful Engage readers? Four free excerpts from devotionals in the study: One about Zaccheus Remember Lot’s Wife The Bent-Over Woman Jesus Healed Mary Magdalene: Mary from Magdala or Mary Tower? What Makes Luke’s Gospel Unique Matthew, Mark, and John were Jewish; Luke was a…
-
God Fills the Hungry with Good Things
November always makes me think of the good things I am grateful for. With that in mind, I’m sharing a chapter entitled “Theologian” from my book, Favored Blessed Pierced: A Fresh Look at Mary of Nazareth (Richardson, TX: Pondered Treasures Books, 2019), 47–50. And Mary said, “My soul exalts the Lord, and my spirit has begun to rejoice in God my Savior, because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant. For from now on all generations will call me blessed, because he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name; from generation to generation he is merciful to those who fear…
-
The Story of 12 Years
We all face times of pain, uncertainty, and despair. And Jesus shepherds His daughters through the dark valleys, step by step. Here’s the story of two female lives running parallel for 12 long years: one growing in family, love, laughter, joy, and hope for the future. The other declining in sickness, isolation, financial ruin, fear, and hopelessness. Both experience spiritual healing, renewed life, and eternal hope through faith.
-
Jesus: The Sin Doctor
Sunday School Chronicles Me: Y’all. Matthew is trash! He’s a tax collector. The Romans think they’re better than Jews and everyone else. They go to Matthew and say, “Matthew, you’re not like the other Jews. You’re a good Jew! We’re supposed to collect like 15% tax but we’re gonna charge an extra 15%, take 10 and give you 5. You down?” Matthew said, “Bet!” How would the people describe Matthew? Kids: Boo! Traitor! Loser! Cheater! Me: Yes! How would Matthew describe himself? Kids: Rich! The best! Awesome! Me: Absolutely! Dude is living his best life! But most importantly how would God describe him? Kids: Boo!!!! Me: Look, thank God I’m…
-
Learning to Lean Hard–AGAIN
Walking with God. The scriptures talk a lot about how we walk, which is biblical language for how we live. But walking itself, beyond the analogies, has a special meaning to me. As an infant, polio paralyzed me from the waist down, but little baby helper nerve cells sprouted up and gave me some use of my leg back. I needed a full-length brace to be able to stand and walk at all for my first years. And every step of my life has been a rather noticeable limp. So to me, walking = limping. So when I hear words of wisdom like, “Don’t trust any leader who doesn’t walk…
-
The Season of Winter
Recently, we turned our clocks back from daylight savings to winter and shorter days. God has given us seasons to show His perfect plan for our universe. Psalm 104:19 He made the moon to mark the months, and the sun sets according to a regular schedule. And long ago, Moses wrote: in Genesis 1:14, God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night and let them be signs to indicate seasons and days and years. Remember this song? “Oh the weather outside is frightful but the fire is so delightful?” Winter is when we can reflect on the goodness of God in times of…
-
Living without a Guarantee
Some of our most important work and most difficult suffering does not come with a guarantee of success...
-
Plan Ahead for Meaningful Holidays: Make This The Year You Get It Right
A ceramic pumpkin centerpiece still decorates my table. And we have yet to plan the Thanksgiving menu. Maybe instead of turkey we’ll have breakfast for dinner like we did last year—complete with Eggs Benedict slathered in Hollandaise sauce. For some of us it feels a bit early to plan now for the Christmas season. But the first Sunday in Advent falls on November 27 this year. And we want to experience a sane, wise holiday season, right? We want to eschew the insanity that often comes with the celebration. And that requires some planning. And so I give you my annual list of seven suggestions. Here’s the 2022 offering. Select…
