In the centuries leading up to the Reformation, people were taught that you had to earn your salvation. It might be through purchasing indulgences, performing good deeds, partaking of the Eucharist, etc. and even then, you had to spend time in purgatory before you had a chance of getting into heaven. Through vessels of men … Continue reading Undeserved Love →

   Their task seemed impossible. After returning from the Babylonian exile, the Jews began to rebuild the temple. Yet almost immediately difficulties arose. The older Jews mourned as they compared the smaller temple they were building to the glories of Solomon’s temple (Ezra 3:12). And then to make matters worse, the nations around Israel began … Continue reading Even the Small Things →

   We’ve all been there: the heat of the moment when we have to make a quick decision. When we do, we actually learn a lot about ourselves. Our emotions, fears, and struggles can rise up, and the decision we make reflects where our heart is at.    We see an example of this in … Continue reading Who Do We Rely On? →

   Things change so much in our lives. Whether it be CDC guidelines, shifting powers in foreign nations, or something far less significant like our feelings. Change can surround us every day. But in these shifting storms, the Lord is our Rock. His faithfulness is ground we can take a firm stand upon.    And … Continue reading Look to Jesus →

   Instead of an actual blog post this week, I began my video series, “The Text of Scripture.” Rather than lessons from Scripture per se, we’ll look at various aspects of transmission and interpretation.    When I say “transmission,” I include everything from how we got the Bible, jargon in the Textual Criticism sector (which … Continue reading Beginning “The Text of Scripture” →

   One important aspect of Bible study is watching for key phrases or themes that come up repeatedly in a passage. I’ve been spending a good bit of time in some of the pastoral epistles recently (2 Timothy and Titus specifically), and the idea of doing good constantly comes up. I’m thinking of phrases like … Continue reading What We Are Called To →

   At the church I’m a member at, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper the first Sunday of each month. There is so much symbolism wrapped up in this ordinance, but in our Western culture, we miss much of this significance.    For instance, let’s take what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11. The full context … Continue reading Celebrating Together →

   What we identify ourselves by reveals a lot about who we are. We also draw conclusions about others based on their title or how they present themselves. For example, if someone says, “I’m an engineer,” a particular image pops into our mind. That image may not necessarily be accurate, but it is there. When … Continue reading Inside a Name →

   Sometimes we hear a verse so many times, we forget the original context. Unfortunately, this can cause us to miss the main point of the verse. I’ve realized this myself recently with a key verse from 2 Timothy.    At some point or another, I’m sure most of us have either heard or read … Continue reading Where Confidence Comes From →

   There are times when we read a passage of Scripture and just scratch our heads. What does that even mean, we wonder. A friend and I had this struggle when looking at Matthew 16:19. Yet as I prayed and dug into the verses, the Lord brought the meaning into focus.    In the verse, … Continue reading To Bind And Loose →