Live for Your Reward
Just before talking about the common practices of giving, praying, and fasting, Jesus gives his hearers this warning: “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Mt 6:1, NIV).
There are at least two things to make note of with that statement.
My Three Favorite Books on the KJV Only Debate
Here are my three favorite books—along with short blurbs for each book provided by Logos Bible Software—pushing back on the idea that the KJV is not just the best English Bible translation available, but the only trustworthy English translation.
Why Jesus Taught in Parables
Parables, by their very nature, are not easy to understand… at least, not at first.
A parable is a unique type of story designed to promote observation, meditation, and action. A parable that does not invite this sort of deep thinking and eventual active response to the meaning contained within the story is not a parable after all.
Did Jesus Only Teach in Parables?
I was listening to a podcast on Jesus’s parables and, as the host introduced the episode by giving a quick rundown of what was going to be discussed—as all good hosts do—he said something that caught my ear. While setting up the importance of Jesus’s parables he referenced a place in Mark’s gospel where the evangelist writes about Jesus’s teaching style and this host said, “It even says specifically that when Jesus taught the masses…he taught exclusively in parables.”
Hide the Word in Your Heart
In the longest chapter of one of the longest books of the Bible, the psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Ps 119:11, NIV).
All 176 verses of this psalm are dedicated to the written revelation of God, because of its supreme value. In particular, this psalmist at the time valued it for how it might help keep him from sin.
Holiness, Sanctification, and Consecration
What is holiness? I see a picture of some saint in my head, holding up three fingers, alone on a hill, staring longingly up at the sky, with a halo around his head (sometimes her head, but mostly his head). Or, are we talking about "His Holiness, the Pope?" Or, something set aside for a specific purpose? Or, is that sanctification? Is it the same thing?
What I Have Learned Teaching My Daughter About Jesus
A friend asked me what I have learned from teaching my daughter about Jesus. However, I could not come up with an answer. After thinking about it for some time, I realized that I do not teach my little girl about Jesus. If I want her to know her Savior, I have learned that I have to show my child who Jesus is.
Exploring the Bible 2023!
We don't talk about covenants much in our day-to-day lives, but they are integral for understanding the biblical storyline and what part of that story you and I find ourselves.
Who Will Save Us?
The movie, Sully, is about the real life event of when Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger safely landed a commercial aircraft on the Hudson River after losing both engines from a bird strike shortly after takeoff. Throughout the movie the NTSB (the National Transportation Safety Board) had been investigating the water landing to determine if Sully had actually made a mistake by going for the Hudson when he could have—and should have—headed for a nearby airport.