May 22, 2023
May 28 | Waiting
People adopt a posture of solitude while waiting, which is not only a good spiritual discipline, but also a great help in waiting. To sit alone in silence can be very redemptive. . . .
Articles for tag: 1 Peter 2:2
April 3, 2023
Easter Meditation 1: Simon of Cyrene
In this first of six meditations in the week leading up to Easter, former editor Mark A. Taylor shares thoughts about Simon of Cyrene . . . "Burdened by the Cross" (Mark 15:16-22).
August 2, 2021
Aug. 8 | Application
A biblical text normally has a single meaning, but it can have many applications. Consider Galatians 2:20 . . .
March 1, 2021
The Truth about Bible Reading
By Kent E. Fillinger Biblegateway.com offers 61 different Bible translations and paraphrases for readers to choose from. I’ve half-jokingly said for years that most Christians choose to read the MOV(My Own Version) Bible. The Jefferson Bible—more properly called The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth—may be the most noteworthy example of trying to make the Bible fit one’s personal perspective. Our nation’s third president, Thomas Jefferson, like many at the time, shed his orthodox Christianity in stages. He started by doubting the Trinity, then Old Testament miracles, and then New Testament miracles. During his presidency, Jefferson extracted, reduced, and
July 1, 2016
Come Clean
By Nancy Karpenske The notion of “coming clean” implies a person is concealing something, not being completely honest. Coming clean is connected to guilt and shame. If someone stares you down and says, “Time to come clean,” it probably isn”t a request to wash up before sitting down at the dinner table. God invites us to dinner at his table. We have a standing invitation. Communion is a moment when we are invited to come closer to God. The bread and the juice, symbols of Jesus” torture and death, remind us in a vivid way that we have already been
May 20, 2016
Celebrity Doubles
By Tom Lawson During the 1930s a hopeful contender in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest in San Francisco was disappointed when he did not even make the finals. The contestant was, of course, none other than the real Charlie Chaplin. Today, an entire industry of celebrity doubles has arisen. Want Arnold Schwarzenegger at your 5-year-old”s birthday party? No problem. Want Barack Obama to speak at the church”s annual Thanksgiving dinner? No problem. Among the billions of human beings on earth, some clearly bear striking similarities to others. In European folklore this may be behind the myth of the doppelganger””a person”s
August 21, 2015
The Scars That Heal
By Steve Wyatt The venerable apostle Paul was reminiscing about his ministry exploits in a letter to the believers at Galatia. He”s nearing the close of his letter when he suddenly states, rather matter-of-factly, “On my own body are scars that prove I belong to Christ Jesus” (Galatians 6:17).1 And that”s all he said. No additional embellishment, no “please feel sorry for me.” Just the facts”””I”ve got some scars.” And yet, in the very same paragraph, Paul also said, “But I will never brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14). You see, Paul had
July 30, 2006
Personal Attention: The Missing Link in Spiritual Growth
Personal, one-on-one discipleship is a biblical, reproducible way to develop workers for the harvest. This article explains why shared life and intentional mentoring help believers mature—and how that process equips disciples to make disciples.
