What is God’s will for me? That’s not an uncommon question. Particularly for those who are seeking to live out the Christian life well, the desire to understand what the Lord wants for us is prominent. But sometimes, it just doesn’t seem clear. We aren’t sure what...
These days most people have the convenience of a GPS device. It is incredibly helpful. It can help you get to your destination in a timely fashion, avoid delays, bypassing traffic problems and construction sites. With a few swipes on the screen and a few glances at...
In writing to Timothy, Paul encouraged him to give himself to exercise his gift of teaching—to be devoted to teaching—so that “his progress could be evident to all” (1 Timothy 4:13–16). This must mean that as gifted as Timothy was, he could get better in his...
It’s common to hear—from many sources and many teachers—about the need to grasp “the big story of the Bible.” The idea is that one needs not only to know what the big story is but that apart from knowing the big story one cannot read and understand Scripture....
There are times when you want—and need—an expert opinion. Your car is making a peculiar (and new) noise, but only when you turn to the left. You look under the car and try to assess the problem and find nothing amiss (at least to your relatively untrained eye). So,...
Often when you enter into a conversation with another person about a book you've read or a movie you've seen, when it comes to discussing a particular line in the movie or a paragraph in the book you might hear, "Well, what I understand that to mean is . . . " or...
You've undoubtedly seen it happen. A stone is tossed into a lake or a pebble dropped in a pond. You notice the immediate point of impact. But then, as you watch, you see the ripples. Moving out from that center of impact, ripples spread out. An ever-widening circle...
After the resurrection, two of those who had been following Jesus for some time were on their way from Jerusalem back to their home in Emmaus. They weren’t part of the inner circle of twelve, but they were readily identified as “disciples” of Jesus (Luke 24:13–35)...
What is it that has happened to those who have come to believe in Jesus? What is the common, widely shared implications for life for those who have trusted in Jesus as their Savior? It seems that one of the typical answers to such questions is simply this: Jesus...
I was sitting in a coffee shop with a friend–a pastor–talking through Mark. We were deeply engaged in what Mark wrote, seeking to get in on what the Spirit inspired him to record for our benefit. As we drew our conversation to a close, a gentleman at a neighboring...
