Have you ever heard the phrase, “gird up your loins”? It’s not a phrase we say much anymore, but it relates to the first piece of the Armor of God, the Belt of Truth. But when you hear “gird up your loins,” it doesn’t sound like it is referring to armor. Obviously the translators ofContinue reading “What it means to gird up your loins – Belt of Truth, Part 2”
Tag Archives: christianity
Is spiritual warfare real? – Ephesians 6:10-13, Part 2
Is spiritual warfare real? Perhaps the most famous biblical passage about spiritual warfare is Ephesians 6, verses 10-20, about the Armor of God. For the next couple months, we will be studying the Armor of God. This week we are looking at verses 10-13, the introduction to the passage. The writer of this passage isContinue reading “Is spiritual warfare real? – Ephesians 6:10-13, Part 2”
How to have strong opinions and be humble too – How to interact with people who view the world differently than you, Part 5
In the first post in this series, I talked about unity as Christians agreeing on top tier issues. What are top tier issues? That God is father, son and Holy Spirit, and that it is only through God the Son, Jesus’ birth, life, death and resurrection that sin, death and the devil are defeated, andContinue reading “How to have strong opinions and be humble too – How to interact with people who view the world differently than you, Part 5”
Why it is so good to be wrong – How to interact with people who view the world differently from you, Part 4
So what does it look like to do all to the glory of God when we are interacting with people with whom we disagree? It is clearly putting God first. But how? In 1st Corinthians chapter 8, verse 9, Paul writes, “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumblingContinue reading “Why it is so good to be wrong – How to interact with people who view the world differently from you, Part 4”
The tragedy of American Christian sorting – How to interact with people who think differently than you, Part 3
What has happened in recent years in American Christianity has been called a sorting. We American Christians, rather than do what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 1, verse 10, be unified, we have sorted ourselves into different camps. Has this happened in your church? In your community? It’s very evident in the wider American church. Continue reading “The tragedy of American Christian sorting – How to interact with people who think differently than you, Part 3”
The important difference between unity and uniformity – How to interact with people who view the world differently than you, Part 1
A couple years ago, I think it was in 2020 or 2021, I proposed the idea that some members of my extended family listen to the podcast, Seeing White. The goal was to listen to one episode per week, and then discuss it together on a group text message chat. I suggested this idea becauseContinue reading “The important difference between unity and uniformity – How to interact with people who view the world differently than you, Part 1”
How do we have conversations with people whose view of the world is so different from our own? – Preview
I was recently in a conversation with a friend who said there is a concerted movement in the United States to destroy Christianity. Immediately yellow “Caution” signs flashed in my brain, and I thought, “Oh boy, where is this coming from, and where is this going?” My friend went on describe, with authority, that allContinue reading “How do we have conversations with people whose view of the world is so different from our own? – Preview”
The importance of new worship songs and a global perspective – Psalm 96, Part 2
Psalm 96 begins with the repeated words: “Sing to the Lord.” Three times we read that in verses 1 & 2. This is a reminder that there is just something about singing that is special. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a good singer, and even if you kinda just grunt the wordsContinue reading “The importance of new worship songs and a global perspective – Psalm 96, Part 2”
What is a normal amount of perspective? – Psalm 96, Part 1
One of my favorite movies is Notting Hill from 1999, in which actor Hugh Grant plays a travel bookstore owner, William Thacker, whose store and apartment are located in the Notting Hill neighborhood of London. He has a chance encounter with American film superstar Anna Scott, played by Julia Roberts. Their chance encounter leads toContinue reading “What is a normal amount of perspective? – Psalm 96, Part 1”
Blog update and Psalm 96, Preview
As you may have noticed, the month of September has been a transitional month between blog series. We completed the Gospel of John series in August, and in October we’ll be starting a series studying the Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20), which will take us to Advent. During the month of September, then, we’ve hadContinue reading “Blog update and Psalm 96, Preview”
Engaging Scripture 