A Storm, A Shipwreck, and a Snakebite
If you've walked with Jesus for any length of time, you probably have heard something about "persecution." Whether recalling the words of Jesus when He affirmed that because He had been persecuted, His followers would also face persecution (John 15:20) or Paul's...
But I Don’t Feel It
Walking with the Lord for these many years, I can recall times when my heart was filled with passion and my longing to pursue Him and experience life with Him seemed so much greater. I have moments when such times seem only to be vague memories–when my Spirit-given...
Did He Mean What He Said?
It was in a recent ad, put out by a Christian publisher. Sadly, it modeled a very common misreading of a passage. You’ve probably heard the verse or seen it quoted in various places. Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am” (Matthew...
How Not to Read a Narrative
It can be challenging. Two-thirds of the Bible is narrative–passages that recount what happened in someone’s life. The challenge comes when we want to make application from a narrative passage or find meaning in what is reported. As we seek to find something...
Why Are We Not Staggered?
Good Friday. Easter. Jesus' death and resurrection. Every Christian church celebrates. All believers look to a wonderful time of worship with others. But I have been thinking. Are we missing something? I've wondered if our perceived familiarity with the "Easter...
He Wasn’t Immune
Because of the Covid pandemic, there's been a lot of discussion about natural immunity. Regardless of where you find yourself in that conversation, that concept is understandable. The basic idea? The person with natural immunity has a kind of in-built resistance to...
Small But Important Details
There are times when our familiarity with a Gospel story might prove to be a hindrance when we come to reading a passage. Our sense that we already know what the account is about and why the Gospel writer recorded it for us can leave us inattentive. And the result?...
It is Not Uncommon, But it Can Be a Problem
You might not know the term, but you have experienced the problem. The term? Inattentional blindness. The idea? That we often overlook something right in front of us because we are focused on something else. We often miss an object right in front of our eyes if it...
Attentive Writer, Attentive Readers
There are times when we just sit and eat. Those moments when we are hungry, short on time, drive thru some fast food place and are simply wanting to get a bit of something to satisfy the hunger. There is a time and place for that kind of food. But there are times...
Why Did He Ask?
On more than one occasion Jesus asked an intriguing question: "Have you never read?" (See, for example, Matthew 12:3-5 or Mark 12:26.) The grounds for the question is not always identical, but the purpose of Him asking that kind of question seems to be the same...
