Jesus in Every Book of the Bible

Jesus made a staggering claim when he reprimanded a bunch of religious scholars saying, “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!” (John 5:39) This is just one of many instances that reveal that Jesus either was the Son of God as he claimed or a deranged…

Going Green 6: Nomadic Gardening?

Have you ever met a traveling salesperson who refuses to leave the office? Have you ever met a daycare provider who can’t stand kids? How about an illiterate librarian? These are oxymorons and contradictions. I worked on the grounds crew at a golf course in high school. I spent most of my summer cutting grass. I loved…

Apocalyptic Literature: 4 Views

How does one approach reading and interpreting the strange, other-worldly Book of Revelation? Here’s a short introduction and overview of the four main approaches often used.  INTRODUCTION Interpreting Revelation and other apocalyptic literature, like any specific genre, demands its own set of prescribed rules.  Yet, when we approach the task of shedding light on the mysterious…

Going Green 5: Thorns and Thistles

Keri and I were out in the yard doing some spring raking a while back. Keri had made some piles of leaves and weeds, and I was coming around behind her to bag them up. I was in for a painful surprise when I grabbed a pile of leaves with my bare hands only to…

Going Green 4: God’s Junior Gardeners

You may be thinking, “Sorry, I’m not into gardening, so maybe I’ll skip this series.” Not so fast. We’re talking about something far more central to our humanity than growing vegetables and flowers. God the Creator made human begins in his divine image and likeness, and part of this likeness is our ability to join…

Christ Encounter #5: Who am I Really?

This is from a Bible Study series I wrote called Christ Encounters exploring some of the most well-known encounters with Christ in the Gospels.  Each study provides (1) initial observations/questions, (2) interpretation & exegesis, and (3) practical life application questions. 27Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked…

Going Green 3: Do-It-Yourself or Hired Hands?

A National Gardening Survey revealed that 71 percent of all U.S. households (an estimated 82 million) participated in one or more types of lawn and garden activities in 2007. The most popular lawn and garden activities in 2007 included lawn care (48% of households), growing indoor houseplants (31% of households), flower gardening (30% of households),…

10 Turning Point Lessons for Church Leaders (by Pete Scazzero)

From Pete Scazzero: Character is more important than gifting. Being is more important than doing. When we have overlooked issues of character because of anointing, effectiveness, or natural abilities, we have always paid a price. Do not rush. When decisions were made quickly, without pausing to pray, think and process implications, we always experienced regrets. Seeing the Promised Land without carefully…