Blog
A Summary Look Back Before Going Forward
I've been in Deuteronomy in my daily Bible reading lately. Here Moses is giving the children of Israel a summary of what's happened to them since they left Egypt (Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers) before they head into the Promised Land. He's reminding them of the...
Heaping Coals of Fire
In Romans 12:20, we see the apostle Paul referencing Proverbs 25:21-22. In a modern Western way of thinking, the term "heap coals of fire on his head" gives me the idea that I'm exacting some type of vengeance or convicting with shame by being kind to people I don't...
Jesus and Failure and Betrayal
At my church we've been going through the book of Mark, and in the past few weeks we've been coming closer and closer to the cross. Jesus has just had His last meal with His disciples (which was something very important to both them and Jesus, even though the...
A Bit on Biblical Context and My Opinions and Choices
Each verse in the Bible has a greater context around it. Each chapter in the Bible has a greater context around it. Each book in the Bible has a greater context around it. If you don't take the whole context into context, you're very likely to miss important truths...
Alabaster and Spikenard
In Mark 14:3-9, we see a woman displaying an act of full and pure devotion for Jesus. I'm quite familiar with this account, but recently in church I learned more details about why this was such a big deal. I did a little Internet searching on my own and learned a few...
Advice from Pastors
I've gone through some older notes I've kept from sermons years ago. I've chosen a few phrases for some helpful advice. You're not special, you're unique. Unity in church comes when we stop thinking of ourselves as special and start thinking of ourselves as being...