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You Are Free: A Lesson from the Greco-Roman World
Most of us know that the world of the earliest Christians included slavery. The book of Philemon details the return of the slave Onesimus. And elsewhere, Paul flips the usual household codes, addresses slaves directly (scandalous!), and tells masters they, too, have a master. But even more personally, Paul refers to all believers as manumitted from sin and free to serve our new master: righteousness. Here are three examples from Paul’s letters. Notice what he says about who owns the believer. Do you not know that if you present yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or obedience resulting…
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My Superhero Complex
This blog was originally posted on February 8, 2016. But as many of us are feeling so weary from “doing it all” lately, I felt it time to recirculate this article to remind us (myself included) of our need for rest and reliance in our real superhero. “The caregiver needs rest, too,” our Canadian ministry cohort advised. “You need to take time out,” my former internship director urged. “You need to rest,” my husband kindly said. Who? Me? Nah, I’m fine. I just need a bigger cape. I bet you, like me, have an invisible superhero cape. I wear mine daily and take on all of the responsibilites that come…
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Finish Well
Sunday School Chronicles Me: Let’s be real, sin is fun!Student 1: No it’s not!Me: Didn’t you just get your phone taken away?Student 1: Oh yeah!Me: Exactly! I don’t want to hear any perfect Sunday school answers. Guess what? Everybody sins!Student 2: I don’t!Me: And the sins just keep coming! Yes you do! So John the Baptist is in jail for calling out Herod Antipas.Student 3: What’d he do?Me: Just married his sister in law. No big deal.Students: WHAT!?!?!?!Me: Of course it was a big deal! Look, when you’re enjoying sin, you’re not a fan of someone calling you out. Imagine being on your 5th snicker bar and someone tells you…
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What Will Be Your Harvest?
Children are listening. They often believe blindly what they hear. Let’s speak the truth in love even in our daily conversations that they overhear and especially when we speak to them. Words can’t be erased or unheard from the heart. Paul tells us in Galatians 6:7 “Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows.” What will we harvest from the words we’ve sown this year?
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Cancel the Cancel Culture
About 2000 years ago, a Samaritan woman came to a well to draw water. She came alone during the heat of the day which was unusual. Generally, women came to the well together as a social time (Gen 24:11; Exo 2:16) and during the cooler part of the day. From John 4, it seems the woman was immoral and an adulterer. Not just 1 time but 5 times. Two thousand years ago, it was typical for the other women to ostracize, ignore, or shun an immoral woman. This unnamed woman, who feels lonely and hopeless, came to the well where Jesus was at. She was surprised to be the recipient…
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Things to Know When Studying the Old Testament
The books of the Old Testament (except for Genesis and Job) are the accounts of people living under the Old Covenant, the Law of Moses. It is important to keep that background and context in mind when studying them. So, here are some simple things to know when studying the Old Testament. These will help you to understand the truth revealed about God and His way of approaching life for you. Word meanings can be different. Here are some examples of word meanings and concepts that are different between the Old and New Testaments. People were saved by faith in the Old Testament. Throughout the Old Testament, God’s grace accepted…
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Meekness—It Is More Than You Think
Ever since our church small group discussed meekness last week, I’ve been thinking about it—trying to make sense of it. It seems simple enough until you really pause and consider Jesus’ words. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). Meekness isn’t something we talk much about. It’s often seen as being weak, timid, or passive—hardly qualities we want to possess. But take a second look, and you quickly discover meekness is much more. The biblical view of meekness is strength under control. It’s the middle ground; the place where we struggle to live. Most of us choose to either keep the peace at all costs.…
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It’s A Choice!
Recently, I had to ask a volunteer ministry leader to step down from their leader position because they posted online that they did not agree with the vision of the church we serve in. It was not a one time instance and in fact, had been the position of this person for some time. I was not surprised considering every time we met, he questioned the church’s direction on just about everything. He’s on board with a different kind of church and really… that’s ok! The problem I have is that this person CHOSE to go to the church and made the choice to want to be a leader in…
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Meaning-full Holidays Benefit from Advance Planning
My shopping list includes “Halloween candy,” and my neighbors’ yards feature cobwebs, ghosts, and the Grim Reaper. Yet I just received a gift catalog from an aid organization, an invitation to a holiday brunch, and ads for Advent products in my social media feeds. It feels too early to think about whether to include marshmallows on the sweet-potato casserole. But we also know planning ahead will help make the holidays more meaning-full, right? Here on the Engage blog, I have annual tradition of offering suggestions for doing so. Here’s my 2023 Top Ten list: Prefer a book? I love Fleming Rutledge’s Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ. I get…
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Gaze On God, Not the Wicked
News headlines are bleak these days. Factual events are spun as fiction to benefit the guilty. Differing accounts cause confusion and disguise the truth. And just when it seems things can’t get worse, violence breaks out again, communities are displaced, and thousands tragically perish. The marginalized suffer (again) while the wealth of the privileged increases. It can seem like the wicked are winning. We can feel like Asaph, the writer of Psalm 73. 3 For I envied those who are proud, as I observed the prosperity of the wicked.4 For they suffer no pain; their bodies are strong and well fed.5 They are immune to the trouble common to men; they do not suffer as other men…
