Our Experiences – What a Gift!
The gifts we receive from Christ in the time and place where we are are enormous!
Book Review: Open and Relational Theology by Thomas Jay Oord
A challenge to traditional theology.
Emotions: controlled or bottled up?
How do we control our emotions biblically? What do our emotions tell us? A guide from the psalms.
The Bible as One (Incomplete) Story
But the Bible was not written to tell stories so we could be more moral or more prepared, or more anything. It was written because God wants you for himself.
Present – a gift and/or now existing
Living in the now has indeed been a present to me. It has kept me from worrying or making lists and being concerned about things that have been too far away in time to do anything about.
Is anger a sin or not?
Is anger a sin? But God experiences anger, so how could it be sin? It isn’t. We need to experience anger to understand our emotions and deal with them maturely.
Book Review - Knowing God’s Truth by Jon Nielson
As an introductory text, the book gives a decent overview if the church that chooses to use it agrees with these teachings.
Verse Mapping - What It Is
What is verse mapping and how do you do it? It isn’t nearly as odd and school-like as it seems. Free verse mapping worksheets.
Present Poetry
Praise the Lord! For he is with us always. Our God is good and showers us with good gifts.
Book Review: Mysteries of the Messiah
For anyone who is looking for more details on the connections between the Old and New Testaments, this is an excellent resource.
Delight in God as He delights in you
Delight is found in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. We can affirm, God delights in his people. He delights in our obedience and calls on us to delight in him and his law.
How biblical genre guides understanding of the Bible
Genre can help us understand what the scripture reveals about God and how to read that type of book. Reading a historical account, like the encounter of David and Abigail, is different from reading Psalm 42. By using genre to understand what we are reading, we have another tool to interpret it well.
Book Review: Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend
This book would make my recommendation list for all Christians, and for most church curriculum as well. It helps empower us as Christians and helps us have healthy relationships with fellow Christians.
Biblical Joy and Happiness
Joy comes from God. It is in his presence, the relationship that draws us into obedience, and the worship we offer him for who he is that lifts us up when we are in difficulty. The Lord draws us nearer to him in these ways, giving us cause to find joy in all circumstances.
Obstacles to Effective Bible Study
Obstacles to effective Bible study may lead us to have head knowledge of God, but not heart knowledge, and certainly not change. The antidote to these hindrances is unfortunately not easy but is simple.