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Temptation and Testing
-Does God tempt people to sin? Of course not. James states it rather explicitly: When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone (James 1:13). But does God test his people? Yes. If you are reacting negatively… Read More -
The Path
-Today, simply a quote from Scripture and a poem written on my solitary retreat. I paused on my walk through the forest, contemplating the path we are on as humans who believe in eternal, unseen things. Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these… Read More -
Practicing and Playing
-When I was in my undergraduate years, I studied music rather seriously, and completed a degree in jazz guitar and vocal performance. That degree, along with a Metro card, will allow you to ride on a New York City subway. But I learned a great deal about life through my… Read More -
A Tale of Two Doggies, Part 3: Walking Together
-(Photo: Maggie) On my daily walk with the dogs this morning, I got another revelation about God’s dealings with me. These dogs are great teachers. For background, you may want to peruse my two previous posts about the dogs, from April 30 and June 4, 2018. My two sweet friends… Read More -
Removing the Veil
-As my regular readers may have noticed by now, I just love metaphors. And the Bible is so full of them! The metaphor I’m playing with this week is a veil. As with all biblical metaphors, this reference to a rather mundane object in the natural points us to truths… Read More -
Keeping My First Love
-Some believers have a story of Jesus suddenly crashing into their lives and changing everything in an instant. They have a “new birth” day that they recognize each year, the day when the light dawned, and their entire consciousness was altered. Others have a story of a more gradual awakening… Read More -
Listening as an Act of Love
-As a counselor educator and supervisor, I have often had occasion to train new lay and professional counselors in the art of listening. I consider this the most important intervention in therapy when helping individuals and couples heal fractured relationships—to train them to truly listen to others in a constructive… Read More -
Why I Go to Church
-This is a topic I’ve been giving some thought to recently. It probably will strike you as self-evident that Christians typically go to church. It is expected. When I ask new clients about their faith or their spiritual journey, they will often respond with, “I go to church at….” Alternatively,… Read More -
Wearying the Lord with Words
-Life is full of tests. Have you noticed that? Whether believer or not, we all encounter tests of integrity, strength, endurance, knowledge, patience. It’s the way things are under the sun. I am a writer, a teacher, a counselor—in short, a communicator. I’ve often observed that my life is an… Read More -
Holding Me Still
-This week’s blog is more personal than usual. Again my work and ministry are in transition. I have walked away from one seemingly completed assignment, without knowing where I am to serve next. This kind of thing is tough for me. In my flesh and in my spirit, I am… Read More -
Communion and the Washing of Feet
-Recently I was asked to say a few words at my church to prepare us to take communion together. This inspired me to read all four Gospel accounts of the Last Supper, the final Passover meal Jesus shared with his 12 closest friends and followers, where he established the tradition… Read More -
Freedom: From What, For What?
-Paul wrote to the Galatians, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). This statement has always intrigued me. Christ has set us free because he wants us to be free. Free… Read More
The Scripture Comes to Life Blog
One of my greatest joys is reading and studying the Bible. While I do so, I pray that God will give me supernatural insight I’ve never seen or heard preached before. He has faithfully done so. A teacher at heart, my study is driven by a desire to teach and share the wonderful truths he reveals.
I’ve written on a wide variety of themes and topics. The blogs are searchable by topic and with keywords.
As you read, may Scripture come to life for you in many marvelous and helpful ways.