In our modern usage, the word “saint” implies an almost unreachable standard. We picture stained-glass figures, heroic martyrs, or individuals whose lives seem impossibly pure—far removed from the struggles of ordinary people navigating jobs, families, temptations, and failures. This popular understanding, however sincere, misses the biblical reality. ...
There’s a great rhetorical question in Paul’s letter to the Romans, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” (Romans 8:31, NLT). I don’t know about you, but I don’t have to look very far in my news feeds, or especially in my social media accounts, to see a world that is increasingly ...
A recurring theme in our Bible Study group is the concept of God’s grace. I define “grace” as getting something we haven’t earned and/or don’t deserve, as opposed to “mercy” which is when we don’t suffer punishments or consequences we do deserve. I often cite Paul’s letter of encouragement to the church in Ephesus when he writes, “God saved you ...
I’m not quite sure why my Bible Study group has lately been concerned with more theological questions, but I suspect it’s because we have some relatively new believers who are discovering new questions they haven’t thought about before! It’s certainly true that as we navigate faith in a complex world, we often encounter profound truths that stretch ...
There is a question that pops up from time-to-time in my Bible Study group that looks, at first glance, like it may be problem or inconsistency in the way God deals with sinners. That is, how do the Old Testament characters, like Abraham, Moses, or David become worthy of eternal life, since they were obviously sinners like the rest of us, and Jesus ...
Scripture relates uniquely to the life of the mind and the spirit and draws a meaningful line between education—the acquisition of knowledge, wisdom, and practical instruction—and edification—the building up of character, faith, and community in alignment with God’s purposes. Education equips us with understanding, ...
It is a paradox that we are often best defined by how we treat those who mistreat us.
In His radical manifesto known as the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave a command that cuts directly against human nature: “But I say to you, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matthew 5:44, NLT). Note that Jesus not only tells ...