Bible study
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Older Women to Younger Women
I know some of the younger women are so tired of hearing it! “Older women are to…train the younger women…” (Titus 2:3-4). It’s true because we read it in the inspired word of God. It is also true that some of the older women are tired of hearing it too! It’s a huge responsibility to take on teaching those who are younger than you. I have watched and dealt with this conflict for many of my years as a Bible class teacher for teen girls and ladies. Somewhere along the line a disconnect has occurred. Let me share some of my thoughts on this topic: While we usually go to…
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A Thought on Biblical Assumptions
There are places in the Bible where the text leaves part of a story untold. We are left to think of some of the details and fill in some gaps as to why certain things happened the way they did. However, sometimes people assume something and “everyone” agrees on it, but then they don’t think about it anymore. And…it’s possible those assumptions may not be true. Let me give you an example I was thinking about recently. In Esther 6:1, we are told that the king, Ahasuerus, could not sleep. The Hebrew is an idiom that basically says that sleep fled away from him. If you are familiar with this…
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A Christian Response to Transgenderism [Video]
A couple of weeks ago, I preached a sermon dealing with the difficult subject of transgenderism. The topic had been requested by several people of various ages, so I decided to tackle it. Today, for my “article,” I’m simply sharing the video of the sermon. You can watch it below, or click here to watch it on YouTube. If the “timer” is not working, the sermon begins at the 21:20 mark of the video.
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Saying “No” for a Reason
There is an old principle that I have heard, I suppose, for my entire life, but it has never really sunk in until recently. Or, maybe, to put it a better way, I knew the principle but did not live it out in practice. I’ll share what that principle is in a moment. But, first, a couple of personal anecdotes that provide the backdrop to this article. I was asked a short time ago to take part in something I had done before. Most wouldn’t consider it a big thing, and it would have probably only taken a couple of hours each week on average (something like that, anyway). It…
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Bible Heroes
When you think about the heroes in the Bible, who comes to your mind? Maybe you think of people like Moses or Joshua leading God’s people out of Egypt and into the promised land. Perhaps Daniel or his friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego come to the forefront of your mind because of their bravery in a foreign land. Maybe Esther or Ruth. Maybe you just turn to Hebrews 11 and read through that great “Hall of Faith.” Sometime in the past, I made a note on my phone referencing 2 Corinthians 4 with this thought: God is the hero of every story–even ours–if we keep our eyes on Him. All…
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A Hidden Message?
I have had the privilege to be co-coaching our junior high girls at church for Bible Bowl this summer. We have been studying the book of Joshua and recently finished going through the book so we began reviewing. That’s when I noticed something that struck me differently and I wondered if there could be a “hidden message” for us today in some instructions given to the Israelites all those years ago. [Side note and this part is for free: I tell the girls often that these “hidden” gems are part of why I know the Bible is from God. A person can read parts of it for the very first…
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Try to Imagine…
It goes without saying that our world is terribly divided. Nations look with suspicion at one another. The leaders of those nations make threats and take actions that make things worse. Sadly, division is not limited to various nations. Our own society is seemingly hopelessly divided along political, regional, racial, moral, generational, and other lines. At times, the division even exists within families. While all of this is sad to me, the saddest of all of the divisions that exists today is the division that is easily observable among people who call themselves “Christians.” One can drive a street in a town or city of almost any size and find places where people who…
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A Budget Item Every Congregation Should Consider
There are many reasons I love worshiping at Central. To list them would take awhile. Do we have problems at times? Of course! We are people, and people have problems. But this is a loving family and those who worship here see that on display all the time. One reason that is the case is because of our elders. These men are truly shepherds who “feed the flock.” There is not a soul at Central who wonders about our elders’ love for the Truth, and no one questions if they care for each person. Those two things–love for the Truth and love for each member–even show up in our budget.…
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A Random Thought about VBS vs. Bible School
At Central, VBS is in the books, but we are right in the middle of VBS season. I know a lot of congregations that have their Vacation Bible School in July, and some even have it in early August. With all these going on, I wanted to share something that has been on my mind for many years about VBS and how it compares with our “regular” Bible school programs. Now, before I share it, let me say this: I am not “anti-VBS.” I love VBS! It is a lot of work, but, when done well, can be a tremendous tool to teach children, to encourage members, to involve members,…
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Teaching Women
They come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. They all have different backgrounds and different levels of Bible knowledge. Some are mature while others are very immature. Some have a lot of confidence while others are very shy. Most are spiritually minded, but often there are those who focus on the world and want to be part of that world. A lot of them have been “brought up” in the church, while others have had very little religious training. Most are happy in life, but there is often one or more who are sad and depressed. For many years I have taught girls and women in Bible classes. Some of…