Faith* is kind of a funny thing that takes time to build, and the way one goes about building it is somewhat nebulous. I spent a semester in Ireland when I was in college, and one of my biggest frustrations during my time away from the US was trying to figure out how to have more faith. I wanted to trust God more, and it’s evident through Hebrews 11 that God ... [Continue Reading]
When Bulls and Goats Fall Short (Hebrews 8-10)
The real problem with the Old Testament sacrificial system was that it held no permanence. Yes, it allowed a person to address the sins of the moment, but that’s where its value ended. One could not rely on old sacrifices for the forgiveness of new sins, and so the sacrifices had to keep coming on a continual basis. When the writer of Hebrews said, ... [Continue Reading]
Moving to Maturity (Hebrews 5-7)
The author of Hebrews speaks of the importance of growing being immaturity in the Christian faith and simply drinking “milk” (5:11-14). How does one partake of food rather than milk as he or she grows in faith? Contrary to the opinion of some, I believe it has to do more with what one studies on his own than what is taught in a worship service ... [Continue Reading]
A New Way (Hebrews 2-4)
In the Old Testament system of making oneself right before God, a priest was appointed who sought the appeasement of God by bringing the people’s sacrifices. Even the, the high priest was only allowed into the Holy of Holies, the Most Holy Place, once per year and with proper precautions. A rope was tied to his back so that, if he faced sudden death, the ... [Continue Reading]
Young and Old (1 Peter 4-5; Hebrews 1)
There’s a tension that exists in the church between the young people and the old people. They both have stylistic preferences, they both have ideas of how things should operate, and they both think they’re right. It’s ironic that Peter addressed this in his letter as he challenged those who were older in the churches to use their age and their authority as an ... [Continue Reading]
Choose to Suffer (1 Peter 1-3)
We live in a culture where everything is an injustice. This became very apparent to me when I spent a semester in Ireland because people there don't complain about things the way Americans do, and their lack of complaints opened my eyes to an attitude that I believe needs to change in our country - especially among followers of Christ. No matter where ... [Continue Reading]
Don’t forget the path (Titus)
Sometimes it’s easy for those who have been following Christ for some length of time to forget what life was like before they committed their lives to Him. There can even be a tendency to look down on those who are new followers of Christ and have not yet progressed very far in their journey. That's why it’s so important that the seasoned Christian ... [Continue Reading]
Being Rich (1 Timothy 4-6)
One of my tendencies is to think I’m not rich. Such, however, is not the case. If you’ve ever spent any time out of the US, you quickly realize how wealthy you are – even if that wealth doesn’t go much further than owning two cars. Already you have placed yourself in a small percentage of people in the world. Paul gave some really important ... [Continue Reading]
Pray for Your Government Leaders (1 Timothy 1-3)
There is a tendency I have sometimes to want to only pray for those government leaders that I agree with. I don’t know if you feel that way or not, but it’s a temptation I definitely face. Paul’s words to Timothy here are such a good reminder for me that I need to be praying for all of the governing leaders in my life – regardless of how I feel about ... [Continue Reading]
A Different Kind of Peace (Philippians)
When I was in high school one of my favorite books was A Separate Peace by John Knowles. It was the story of some boys attending a prep school during World War II, and the title was derived from the idea that all kinds of upheaval was going on in the world, but they were in this separate bubble where they were completely oblivious to the war that was raging on the ... [Continue Reading]
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