Bible study
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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…
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“I’ve Got the Paperwork to Prove It”
It is a commercial for one of those companies that promises to negotiate with the IRS for people. The “target audience” seems to be individuals and families who owe a great amount of money in back taxes. As is often the case with services like this, the commercials feature testimonials from people who have successfully used the services of the company. One of those testimonials features a “satisfied customer” who had his debt to the IRS reduced significantly. He looks at the camera and confidently says, “I’ve got the paperwork to prove it.” Recently, Donna and I were in Cookeville, TN for a couple of reasons. We were there to…
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Hero or Celebrity
As I type these words, I am working on a Bible class that I am to begin teaching very soon. I am scheduled to teach seventh through twelfth grade young men some material that has a sort of dual purpose. The text of the class will be the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Since this is a Bible class, we will, of course, study the text itself. There is a second and underlying consideration for this class as well. It is my prayer that the class will prepare them in some way to fulfill their God-given roles as leaders in the Lord’s church and in their homes. We hope to…
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The Simplest, and Most Overlooked, Step in Bible Study
How do we study the Bible? If we are honest, that is a great question. Often, we tell people in Bible classes and sermons that we all need to “study more,” which is true, but we often do not give them tools as to how to do so. This post is not meant to be a full exploration of Bible study. It is, however, meant to give one step that people far too often overlook and it is one that takes no money and, actually, very little time. As the title suggests, it is also the simplest step in Bible study. What is it? Look at the context. It is…