If We’re to Influence the World, We Can’t Let the World Influence Us I’ve written a lot about personal influence, but not so much about church influence. As followers of Jesus, we should seek to influence others, to have a positive impact on them. This means we must seek positive influences for our lives and […]
To Get the Right Results, Choose the Best Source A worldview is a person’s beliefs about life and living that shapes how they see the world. We all have a worldview. It forms from the earliest moments of our lives and comes from various sources, such as parents, schools, and friends. As we grow older, […]
Let the Bible—Not Society—Guide Our Behavior God gives Moses Ten Commandments, which he passes on to the people. We find these listed twice in the Old Testament (Exodus 20:3-23 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21). They provide the foundation for the rest of the laws in the Old Testament, which Bible scholars tell us number 613 commands. That’s […]
Many people criticize the Bible—and those who follow it—for making women subservient to men. This is not a conclusion I reach when I read the Bible. I see the Bible—and those who truly follow it—as elevating the plight of women to the place they were created to be: equal to men. Consider in Genesis where God […]
We Distort Scripture If We Try to Adapt It to Fit Society’s Views I write about the need to be careful when reading Scripture to not interpret it through the lens of our experiences, perspectives, and practices. When we do so it clouds our understanding. We must likewise be careful not to read the Bible […]
4 Ideals We Should Pursue to Stay True to Jesus As followers of Jesus, we must take care to not let the influences of our world negate our understanding of our Savior and what he stands for. This must be an ongoing effort, because worldly ideas bombard us all day long and not God-honoring principles. […]
God Speaks to Us Through His Spoken Word and His Written Word Growing up I was taught that the word of God was the Bible. This idea has been reinforced throughout my life by various ministers, books, and fellow followers of Jesus. This means that to hear the word of God is to listen as […]
The Whole Bible Can Teach Us about God and Instruct Us in His Ways One verse I heard often at a particular church I attended was 2 Timothy 3:16. It says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” (KJV). This verse […]
Our Actions Are Birthed Through Our Thoughts It’s essential to read the Bible, but beyond that we should also study Scripture. Even more important, however, is meditating on God’s Word. This is because when we meditate on what the Bible says, it changes what we think about, which affects what we do. Read the Bible […]
Beware of Slacking Shepherds, Godless Pastors, and Misleading Ministers The prophet Jeremiah doesn’t just warn the people about judgment for their sins, he also warns their religious leaders too. The twenty-third chapter of the book of Jeremiah details three leadership failures. Most troublesome is the third item about misleading ministers. Everyone in leadership should heed […]