God’s Presence Assuages Fear: Isaiah 41:10 NKJV
Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NKJV Because God promises to be with us, we can rest in his presence and strength and resist the temptation to fear. …
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Face Time with God
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26, NIV) This is a go-to benediction for many pastors. The Aaronic blessing sends many parishioners out into the modern world with assurance. But why the focus on…
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Responding to the Bible’s Message
My senior pastor and I preached through the book of James. Drawing inspiration from the “Do what it says” exhortation in James 1:22, we were trying a new tradition in our young Methodist church. After the Scripture reading each week, the congregation was asked to yell out, “SO WHAT?” Sure, it was a bit irreverent, but we wanted them to…
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Does the Bible Have Answers for Tragedy?
At age 17 my friend Marian decided to stop believing in God. There had been a horrific school bus accident in her town. Kids were killed. She didn’t want a God who would let that happen. And she still feels that way fifty years later. You’ve heard stories like that, I’m sure. In response to tragedy, many people reconfigure their…
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What’s Love Got to Do with It?
It’s a rare blessing when a writer transforms your thinking on a certain subject. With her book Teach Us to Want (IVP, 2015), Jen Pollock Michel has done just that. In our continuing efforts to understand, promote, and enhance Bible engagement, we’ve come to appreciate this writer’s emphasis on how a passion for God drives us to Scripture. We invited…
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3 Bible Lessons to Learn from Latinos
¡Hola! ¡Hola!That’s a greeting I hear in my congregation every Sunday. Maybe you’re hearing it too. Hispanics (or Latinos) now make up 17 percent of the U.S. population, and that number is expected to rise dramatically in the next generation. Of course those statistics represent actual people—people you may encounter in your church or community.By the way, some struggle with…
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Barak’s Bad Rap
Barak got a bad rap.We’re talking about the Israelite general sent into battle by Deborah, the only female judge in the book of Judges. Barak won a great battle against long odds, but most of us remember him as a coward. I believe that’s based on a serious misunderstanding of the Bible text.The story unfolds in Judges 4 and 5.…
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