I was someone who avoided the Psalms. I couldn’t figure out what to do with them. They don’t contain great stories or many commands, principles, or warnings. And there’s lots of repetition and emotion that feels like it gets in the way while you’re reading. But as I’ve continued to learn about them, I can now say that I love the Psalms. Let me share three things that helped me along the way.
People often assume that the temple is just an Old Testament church and essentially the same as the building Christians go to on Sunday, or they think it’s so foreign to their experience that they can’t relate to it at all. The temple is such a prominent theme in Scripture that having a sense of what it means and why it’s so significant helps in understanding the Bible's message.
Almost everybody has heard of the story of David and Goliath. But what is the story about? What does it mean? And how do we apply its message? Getting these questions right can help open up our understanding of many other parts of Scripture. Let's consider the message as it's told in 1 Samuel 17.
We love biographies of successful business people, great inventors, and glamorous celebrities. When we read stories about people in the Bible, we tend to read them in the same way. We assume that the central figure must be a hero, and we look for ways to imitate them. But that usually isn’t a great strategy.
Most people read the Bible for practical principles and spiritual encouragement. When you come to a section like the plagues of Egypt in today’s E100 reading, you find neither. How are you supposed to read passages like this and what can you learn from them?
This week’s E100 readings looked at the life of Abraham. By any standard, Abraham is a person of incredible influence. Honoured by Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike, he is an important individual. But why is he so important? What’s the significance of his life? Consider how the clues in the context of his story make the significance of his life clear.
I can’t speak from the perspective of Jewish identity, Jewish history, or Jewish rabbinic tradition. But I do love the Jewish Scriptures. And I believe they contain a compelling reason to read what Christians call the New Testament, and it’s a reason that’s often overlooked.
I’m on vacation this week, so I wanted to share an article I wrote back in 2016 about a marriage assessment Jennifer and I did.
Couples that are dating will often talk about having a great “connection.” But in a survey developed by a doctor in psychology and family science and refined through over 4 million surveys in the last 35 years, there wasn’t a single question about connection.
I have a confession to make. Over the years, I’ve watched more of those Hallmark Christmas movies than I care to admit. Even though the movies are cheaply made and incredibly unoriginal, people can’t stop watching them. I think it’s important that we stop to ask why.
While I was away at our Fellowship’s National Conference, I wanted to share an article on parenting which is so foundational, I felt it warranted repeating.
What do you do when your child has disobeyed you or broken your rules? The temptation is to play the part of a sentencing judge. Lying to your sister? Go to your room! Stayed out too late? You’re grounded. If all we do is hand out sentences and demand obedience, there is no good news in our parenting.
This week, I’ve been processing the death of Kevin Kerswell, someone whose passing was so sudden and unexpected, that it stunned me. He joined as usual for the morning prayer meeting one week. The next week he was gone. As I attended his funeral, my thoughts went back to a seminar on grief and mourning that was put on by Glenn and Roslyn Crichton, the founders of The Coping Centre. Let me share some of the insights that I learned.
I’m on vacation this week, so I wanted to share an article I wrote back in 2019 about how to be slightly less angry with your children.
While some parents treat anger as a discipline strategy, Scripture has convinced me that getting angry at children usually does more to model the parent’s lack of grace than it does to help build grace in children. This article looks at what you can do to be slightly less angry with your children.
I’m on vacation this week, so I wanted to share an article I wrote back in 2017 on How Funerals Help Us To Live.
When David Bowie passed away, according to his wishes he had a “direct cremation” without any funeral service. He was just gone without an opportunity even for family to mourn his loss. Are funerals outdated traditions? Should we replace them with happier substitutes? Or maybe just do away with them altogether?
I was on vacation last week, so I wanted to share an article I wrote back in 2016 on how to lead children to Jesus.
As a Christian parent, the greatest desire should be to see your child trust in Christ. But how do you do that? And how do you know what is happening in your child’s faith?
As a follow-up to last week’s article, I wanted to share a post I did back in 2017 about learning Proverbs with your kids.
The Book of Proverbs can shape your family’s character more than almost anything. But when your children are young, you need strategies to bring its message to life. Let me share some of the things that helped us the most.
As a continuation of last week’s post, I’ve included an article I wrote back in 2017 on how to learn proverbs with your kids.
The Book of Proverbs can shape your family’s character more than almost anything. But when your children are young, you need strategies to bring its message to life. Let me share some of the things that helped us the most.
I was away at the Fellowship Regional Conference last week, so I wanted to share an article I wrote in 2017 on learning Proverbs with your kids.
By learning Proverbs together, parents and children can both grow at the same time. Proverbs becomes like a tuning fork that can give correction to the entire family.
This week, I wanted to share an article I wrote back in 2019 on whether a person can lose their salvation.
A while ago, a well-known Christian author and former pastor announced that he was no longer a Christian. Many of you have read at least one of his books. He wasn’t one of those preachers that makes people cringe when he opens his mouth. He was a thoughtful, conservative evangelical. But is no longer. I think his announcement raises some important issues for all of us.
