Wednesday's Word

The Bible isn’t an encyclopedia. That frustrates some of you. Wouldn’t it be easier if the Word of God had alphabetized tabs so we could search for a topic, find our verse, and be on our way? But the Bible is intentionally written as a story – a theologically annotated narrative with God’s notes. From cover to cover, this grand story details the wondrous works of God and then applies it to our everyday life. You simply cannot understand yourself, your world, and... Read More

To transgressing of your boundaries You will put an end. To human thoughts of autonomy You will put an end. To delusions of self-sufficiency You will put an end. Grace forbids these going on forever. To acts of violence and deeds of greed You will put an end. To the burn of lust You will put an end. To injustice and inhumanity You will put an end. Grace prohibits these going on forever. To the silent writing of my own law You will put an end. To using others for personal... Read More

What in the world is a hermeneutic? You might be familiar with the term if you took any classes at a seminary or if you study the Scriptures with commentaries. But hermeneutics isn’t a discipline that should be reserved just for academic Christianity. No, hermeneutics is something we all use in our everyday, street-level walk with God. So, what in the world is a hermeneutic? In a word - interpretation. Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation. We each carry around our personal... Read More

Have you ever opened your closet bulging with clothes and thought, “I have nothing to wear...” Have you ever looked into your refrigerator brimming with food and said, “There's nothing to eat...” As sinners, we have this amazing propensity to stand in the middle of lavish blessing and feel as if we are poor and needy. How does this happen? In a word: envy. But it starts with forgetfulness. Envy forgets blessing, and in forgetting blessing assumes... Read More

The word rolls off our tongue so easily. Good. “Wow, this cereal is so good!” “We had a good time at the park.” “Let me tell you where to get a good cup of coffee.” “Sam is a really good husband.” It’s become such a familiar and mundane word in our vocabulary that our mind doesn’t take the time to consider the content. So when we read that God is good, what’s meant to happen inside our soul doesn’t always... Read More

I think about it all the time. It doesn't seem fair. It doesn't seem right. I try to make the equation work but it doesn't. They don't give you the time of day. They couldn't care less about your law. They are proud of their pride. They are so arrogant their tongues strut. They mock your existence. They scoff at your boundaries. They not only make threats, they resort to violence. Their boasting is their bling. I usually swallow my questions, but... Read More

Did you make a New Year’s Resolution for 2019? Change is important, but the reality is that few of us have made immediate and significant life changes because of a single New Year’s resolution. The Christian life doesn’t rest its hope in big moments of change. Instead, the transforming work of grace is more of a mundane process. A mundane process that takes small and daily commitment. You’ve probably heard me say this before: Change typically takes place in... Read More

It’s so easy to forget. With all the bright lights, the cheery music, the shiny decorations, the tasty treats, and the family gatherings, we forget what the scene was really like on that first Christmas. Glory collided with tragedy. Unimaginable glory, in the form of a babe, came to earth. Angels literally announced this birth; don’t gloss over the mind-boggling nature of that heavenly incident! God became flesh, and the hope of the universe was born. But at the same... Read More