Jul 22, 2013 | Christian Living, Romans, The Bible, Theology
There is no prescription for how you’re supposed to feel when you decide to put your trust in Christ. When I was about nine years old I presented myself to my church for baptism. A well-meaning person in the congregation asked me later, “Well, how did it feel?” I...
Jul 17, 2013 | Christian Living, The Bible, Theology
My father was an amazing man. He died in 1986, and I miss him terribly. He was quiet, introverted, full of wisdom, and not at all ostentatious. Dad told me something that surprised me one time when I was in my late 20s. I had just received my doctorate, and I was...
Jul 15, 2013 | Christian Living, Psalms, Theology
Psalm 73 has elements of thanksgiving, lament, and even complaint. At one point, the Psalmist is frustrated and angry, and unable to understand why the Lord allows the world to go the way it goes. He is envious of evildoers—the powerful, the rich, and the mighty—those...
Jul 8, 2013 | Christian Living, Psalms
I hope our ongoing study of the Psalms has been beneficial for you. The Psalms are, of course, the hymn book of Israel. They represent collections of prayers and thanksgivings that cover many topics. Psalm 32 is remarkable in a number of ways. It’s not,...
Jul 3, 2013 | Christian Living, The Bible
In scripture, the love of God is understood primarily in two ways. Neither of them has much to do with what we commonly think of as emotionally based love. He is a God of relationship and covenants. First, scriptural love is associated with the idea of covenant...
Jun 24, 2013 | Christian Living, Psalms, Theology
The writers of the Bible often compared and contrasted the righteous man and the wicked man. Indeed, we must choose daily which of these images we want to emulate. But what about our children? How does one begin to teach a child to choose right from wrong? How...
