In and of itself, there’s nothing wrong with planning ahead. John Wesley, the great evangelist, even used to plan out his day in twenty-minute segments, ensuring that a third of an hour wouldn’t pass without him addressing himself to matters of God’s kingdom. But in these verses, James offers a word to men and women in every generation who are addicted to their calendars, who clutch at their phones, and who live with the impression deep down that the world will stop turning if they get off track.... continue reading
Nehemiah tells the story of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. God’s people had been in captivity, but God had intervened so that they were allowed to come back to their own land and rebuild their broken city. It’s a key moment in the history of God’s people.
But we won’t walk away from this book with just a rebuilt wall. The book of Nehemiah shows us the work it takes to rebuild representation of the glory of God. ... continue reading
Nehemiah is nestled at the beginning of what’s called the Second Temple Period, when the temple was being rebuilt in Jerusalem and the people of God were returning from exile. Long before that, God had chosen the Israelites to be his own people, to show off who he was to the world. Deuteronomy 7:6-7 explains this:... continue reading
“Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” – John 20:27
We know precious few details about Jesus’ resurrection body.... continue reading
In Scripture, mountains are often places where people meet God. Mount Zion, for example, is both a real place—the mountain on which Jerusalem (and the temple) was built—and an idea: a term to describe how God meets with and lives among his people. It’s also called Mount Moriah (Genesis 22)—the place where God provided a sacrifice in the place of Isaac.... continue reading
Where do you start when it comes time to pick a good Bible study for your small group? Some of us start by searching for studies about a book of the Bible we'd like our group to look at together. Others might see what's new at their favorite Christian bookstore or on one of their favorite Bible teacher's websites.... continue reading
I’m sure there are many reasons Jesus said, “Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). But surely one of them had to do with a child’s capacity for experiencing amazement?... continue reading
Father God, you alone can save. Please enable my spouse to…
1. Be Concerned about the Things of Eternity
We see the Philippian jailer in Acts 16 asking Paul and Silas surely one of the most important questions a person can ever ask. Pray that the Spirit would be at work in your spouse, causing them to seek the answer to this question.... continue reading
“My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing that he cannot do.” It’s too easy to ruin this beloved children’s song. One friend of mine is in the habit of singing, “My dog is so big, so strong and so mighty there’s nothing that he cannot do (woof woof).”... continue reading
Goldfish see what’s in the water, they see what’s refracted through the water, but I assume (I haven’t done the proper investigations) that goldfish don’t see the water itself. And yet there it is. It’s their environment. Universal but invisible. It shapes everything they do and everything they see. But they don’t see it.... continue reading
