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Shadows and Light: The Human Condition
We constantly wrestle the discrepancies between our public and private lives, our longing for Truth and love of deception, our quest for justice and ongoing prejudice. All of us have shadows and light flickering across our souls, which effects every aspect of life, including the local church.
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Bible Backgrounds: Read Some NT Books with the Artemis Cult in View
Ever seen drawings of the ancient goddess Artemis? If so, she was probably carrying a bow and arrow. More recent iterations of her as Wonder Woman still depict her the same way—with shields, bows, and arrows. Ancient literature includes many references to Artemis as a master of archery. We see a similar connection in the epigraphic (inscription) evidence. In what is known as “the Oracle Inscription” found in the ruins of Ephesus, the goddess is described as “Artemis of the golden quiver,” a “shooter of arrows” and a “straight-shooting one.” In the ancient Ephesians’ manifestation of her, as with the more generic Artemis, the arrow was her primary weapon. What…
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Longing for Fall & Bible Study
I love the fall, especially because I live in Texas where the summers are downright hot. I’m looking forward to the change of weather with cool days and chilly nights. This time of year is perfect to read a book or host friends on our patio. I not only long for the promise of cooler weather, but also for a return to digging into God’s Word with the community of faith at my church’s women’s Bible study. We’re coming off of a long break that always serves to remind me of my need for the company of other women who also seek to know and follow Jesus. We had our…
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Helping Bible Study Newbies
I recently heard a new Christian woman say, “I just get lost in our small group Bible study especially when people start throwing out Greek words and what they’ve learned in other studies. I just want to understand the words that are actually printed here. They lose me. I feel so ignorant like I can never understand the Bible.” My heart just hurt for her. And, from my experience, I know this precious new Christian, who is also new to the Bible, is not alone in how she feels in our typical Bible study groups. Bible Study Newbies Get Lost without Nurturing In our current culture, it is not wise…
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On the Anniversary of Dad’s Death
“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment accompanied by a promise, namely, “that it may go well with you and that you will live a long time on the earth” (Ephesians 6:2-3). Today is the anniversary of Dad’s death. Dad was a complicated man, to say the least. Recently I was talking to a Christian brother and, essentially, said that when we die it might be said for any of us believers: “He was a Christian… and he was a mess in many ways.” We never outgrow our desperate need for Christ. Anyone who knew my dad knew he had struggles, but they also had no doubt…
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Spend Your Summer in the Scriptures: 5 Tips
If you’re anything like me, summer means less structure. That might equal more free time, but it also might mean your group Bible study has taken a break till fall. Or maybe your church holds a group study, but your VBS commitment, kids’ softball schedule, or a road trip make participation impossible. How will you stay in the Word when pools and grills are in use? Whatever your situation, get active, not passive. Here are my suggestions for a great summer in the Scriptures: 1. Pray. Ask, “Lord, please guide me. What part of your Word do I most need? Trust the Spirit to show you. Should you gather a small…
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Treasure Hunting in God’s Word
Many people believe that teaching the Old Testament to children is unnecessary or not as important as the New Testament. The truth of the matter is that “the New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament.” When we are reading the Old Testament we will find many foreshadowing of things to come as well as promises that will be fulfilled in the New Testament. Look at the story in Genesis when God asks Abraham to sacrifice his promised son on Mount Moriah. This is a clear example of how the New Testament reveals the Old Testament. If you compare Genesis…
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Taming the “Look-Imagine-See” Dragon
Listen to this blog as a similar podcast: I have been so saddened in recent months as I’ve seen prominent respected Christians pronounce their interpretation of certain scriptures based on a “look-imagine-see” method. What do I mean by “look-imagine-see?” Someone looks at a verse or passage, imagines what they want it to say, and then sees in their mind what they have imagined through twisting word meanings and interpretations. The result of their teaching feels a lot more comfy and cozy with the prevailing cultural views but is not intellectually honest. And, it really boils down to basing truth on someone’s opinion. Cultural influence on Bible interpretation feeds this “look-imagine-see”…
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Handling 6 “What if’s…” as You Lead a Study
In the last post, I gave you 3 reasons why you can lead a Bible Study—by faith, without knowing all the answers, and even if you are scared. Actually, being scared is a good thing because it teaches you how to depend on Jesus Christ more. Today’s post addresses a few of those challenges that all Bible Study discussion leaders face. I call them the “What if’s….” What if someone keeps talking on and on and on? What if someone drops out of the group? What if I can’t get everyone to participate in the discussion? You can probably think of quite a few more. One thing I have learned through…
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Vindicating the Vixens
Vindicating the Vixens (Kregel Academic, forthcoming, Octobre 2017) is the work of a diverse team of sixteen male and female theologians who’ve partnered to take a second look at vilified and marginalized women in the Bible. The church has often viewed women’s stories through sexist eyes, resulting in a range of distortions that cause us to miss what we should actually see in the text. In this panel discussion three theological professors and three seminary graduates talk about the women they revisited. SaveSave SaveSave
