God’s Gift and the People’s Responsibility God gave the Promised Land to the descendants of Abraham, not because they deserved it, but to use them to punish other nations who were wicked. After he gave them the territory, their job was to drive out the other people (thereby punishing them). Though the nation of Israel […]
God Instructs Jacob to Go to Egypt, but He Doesn’t Intend for Him to Stay Just like Cain and Abel, along with Ishmael and Isaac, Joseph and his brothers have problems, too. There are two reasons why Joseph’s brothers don’t like him. First, he’s Dad’s favorite. Second, he doesn’t know when to keep his mouth […]
Is it Okay with God for Us to Not Have Children? A concerning phrase I’ve increasingly heard is “happily child free.” Yes, couples can choose how many children to have or even to have children. On the surface, this appears as a responsible decision. Modern-day birth control makes happily child free an accessible reality. But […]
Jeremiah Said What God Told Him to Say and Suffered For It Jeremiah’s time as a spokesman for God is filled with frustration. Not only do the people ignore what he tells them, they sometimes do exactly the opposite. Though Jeremiah speaks God’s truth to his people, they criticize him for his negativity—even though he […]
The Bible is Full of Surprising Verses That We Will Do Well to Explore Sometimes I see things that surprise me when I read the Bible—things I think shouldn’t be there. One example is when God tells Jeremiah to not pray for the people of Judah. Wait, isn’t Judah part of God’s chosen people? Yes, […]
The Teacher Makes a Big Ask Today’s passage: Matthew 21:1–6, Mark 11:1–10, and Luke 19:28–34 Focus verse: “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.” (Matthew 21:2) As Jesus and his followers approach Jerusalem, […]
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 […]
Abraham Takes Lot with Him In the Bible, God told Abram (later called Abraham) to go to a new place. As he went, Abram was to leave behind his country, friends, and family. So Abram left, taking with him his nephew Lot. Abram obeyed the part about going but didn’t fully comply with the part […]
Everyone Can Hear from God People sometimes ask me how I hear from God, and I share with them about when I learned to do this. Yet there were some basic steps I already had in place before I started down this path. I don’t do these perfectly, but I do lean into them and […]
Understand How to Respond to This Perplexing Practice A perplexing verse in Paul’s letter to his friends in Corinth mentions being baptized for dead people. What in the world does this mean? It sounds heretical. Can we be baptized for dead people? Well, I suppose so, but we shouldn’t expect it to accomplish anything. Should […]