-
Are We Watching?
- -I have been studying the letters of Peter and Jude recently with my study group and was reminded of this essay I wrote a while back. We are experiencing some very strange and perilous times, making it all the more important that we keep our faith strong, contend for the… Read More -
Conformed or Transformed
- -Long ago and far away, when I was a young aspiring jazz musician in New York City, I lived in a tiny apartment on the upper west side. In fact, appropriately and magically, I lived on Duke Ellington Boulevard. A few years into that adventure in city life, Jesus found… Read More -
The Power of the Tongue
- -Those of you who have been reading my blogs or my book know that I am drawn to metaphors. I have been using metaphors in my counseling work for so long that this has become a creative tool that comes spontaneously as I respond to the stories clients tell me.… Read More -
Walking Toward Heaven: Letting Life’s Tedium Point Us Toward Home
- -Here is a link to a guest blog I contributed to a series called, Homeward Bound, on Jennifer Wier's beautiful site. Her site is dedicated to reminding us that a glorious heaven awaits us, and this should enable us to live in joy and hope. I wrote that it is… Read More -
The Misery of Comparison and the Joy of Collaboration
- -When my kids were little, I never was great at planning their birthday parties. My daughter Bethany’s birthday is in early November, between Halloween and Thanksgiving, and it always snuck up on me. It still does. When Bethany was 4, I was in an especially busy phase of life—finishing grad… Read More -
Captivity, Wilderness, & Promised Land
- -In January the Holy Spirit walked me through the book of Exodus and showed me many new insights. Now I’ve moved into Deuteronomy, and I’m fascinated to see how this book of Moses traces the same theme: Yahweh is present with us when we are in captivity, when we are… Read More -
Making an Argument
- -2020 was a time of collective insanity. We faced a pandemic that isolated us with our fears, frustrations, and addictions. Political upheaval, racial enmity, shootings, and riots brought much division. People responded with wrongheaded (in my opinion) political correctness and threats to free speech. We are still in a lot of… Read More -
Humility and Pride in Acts 8
- -A few times I’ve read through the whole Bible in a year. This requires a particular daily discipline that I didn’t feel prepared to undertake this year. I have several writing goals on the docket that demand that I drill down deeper into some texts rather than taking a survey… Read More -
"Progress, Not Perfection"
- -Those of us who have lived on the earth for many circuits around the sun can declare that we have been through times of significant tests and struggles. Some of the battles are external and circumstantial, and others are internal. The past year held many wonderful opportunities for me, as… Read More -
Jesus and Children
- -As we celebrate the birth of Christ year after year, our senses are often flooded with sights, songs, colors, and smells that can evoke a sense of reverence and gratitude. Though it is implausible that Jesus was actually born on December 25, celebrating together at this time of year serves… Read More -
What Do We Want the World to See?
- -Back in the late nineties, we lived in the sweet small city of Marietta, Ohio. Marietta lies at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers. It has great historical significance as the gateway city to the western expansion. The town features a broad levee where the sternwheel boats used… Read More -
The Ministry of Angels, Part 3: Worshipers, Warriors, Witnesses
- -So far in this series about angels, we have looked at the angels who announced the coming of John the Baptist and Jesus, and the angels who attended Jesus after his temptation in the wilderness. We also looked broadly at the power, purposes, and roles angels play across the Bible’s… 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.