Growing Deeper Into the Soil of God's Word to Bear Fruit For His Kingdom
“But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard.” (Luke 1:13a) Advent is a season of longing. As we anticipate Christmas and the celebration of the coming of Christ, we are invited to long with Israel for the Messiah. Zechariah and Elizabeth had lived with longing. This... Continue Reading →
“Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you.” (3 John 5) Growing up, a portion of my family worked in the hospitality industry. Gorgeous bed-and-breakfasts. Wonderful hotels. And hosting. We were always hosting something or someone. In a family of hosts, you learn... Continue Reading →
I’ve always been interested in the lives and spirituality of monks, so when Dennis Okholm’s Dangerous Passions, Deadly Sins: Learning from the Psychology of Ancient Monks (Brazos, 2014) came across my desk, I dove right in. Through exploring the works of Evagrius of Pontus, John Cassian, and Gregory I on the seven deadly sins, Okholm believes... Continue Reading →
When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan, the lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers!’ (Genesis 9:24-25) The story of Noah ends awkwardly and with pain. We have known Noah as a righteous man, a man of faith.... Continue Reading →
Theresa F. Latini, The Church and the Crisis of Community: A Practical Theology of Small-Group Ministry (Eerdmans, 2011) We live in a world fraught with loneliness, risk, and uncertainty. Neighbors no longer know neighbors. Christians can sit across the pew for years without entering one another’s lives. No matter how many friends we have on Facebook,... Continue Reading →
“And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And for each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God has... Continue Reading →
The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: "Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. (Genesis 8:21) The opening two chapters of the flood story... Continue Reading →
The invention of headphones has fundamentally changed our relationship to music. For the first time in history, listening to music is not a public activity, but a private one. Dozens of people can sit in the same room and each experience music according to their personal preferences. Metal, Jazz, Hip-Hop, and Country all happening simultaneously... Continue Reading →
When Kenan was 70 years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. And after he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died. (Genesis 5:12-14) There are few more daunting parts of the Bible to read than a genealogy.... Continue Reading →
Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. (Genesis 4:15-16) Names are significant in the biblical world. Whether it is naming a child Moses (‘drawn out’) or... Continue Reading →
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