This week I once again welcome guest blogger, Kirk Marks. Kirk is a retired pastor of 35 years who now works in international fair trade. What is the Word of God? The Bible is the Word of God, right? That was drilled into my head as a young person growing up in the church. MyContinue reading “The Word of God is so much more than the Bible – 1 Thessalonians 2:13–3:13, Part 3”
Tag Archives: word of God
You can have victory over temptation – Sword of the Spirit, Part 5
I started this week talking about Tolstoy’s short story, How Much Land Does a Man Need. Read that post here. The main character of the story, Pahom, is hiking around land for sale. As he hikes, he stakes out the land. He has from sunup till sundown to make it back to his starting stake,Continue reading “You can have victory over temptation – Sword of the Spirit, Part 5”
How to use scripture to fight temptation – Sword of the Spirit, Part 4
I believe we need to have a balanced approach to studying the Word. We need community study where we can study and discuss it together. We need Sundays where we hear the word from preachers and teachers. And we need personal study. Psalm 119:9-11, for example, says, “How can a young person stay on theContinue reading “How to use scripture to fight temptation – Sword of the Spirit, Part 4”
What we can learn from Jesus’ battle with Satan – Sword of the Spirit, Part 3
Temptations pull at me. I struggle with the empty self. It is very easy to desire a new car to replace our 2010. It often feel discontent about my car. But that car continues to get me around. It is super difficult to know when the right time is to pull the plug and getContinue reading “What we can learn from Jesus’ battle with Satan – Sword of the Spirit, Part 3”
What is the Word of God? – Sword of the Spirit, Part 2
Typically we Christians equate the word of God with the Bible. And we Christians do believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, as Paul writes to his young ministry partner Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is God-breathed.” Certainly, God has communicated his word in other ways as well. We readContinue reading “What is the Word of God? – Sword of the Spirit, Part 2”
Why is temptation so powerful? – Sword of the Spirit, Part 1
Have you heard of the short story How Much Land Does a Man Need? by famed Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910)? Tolstoy is famous for his mammoth works like Anna Karenina or War and Peace, as well as for his desire to live out Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. But How Much Land Does aContinue reading “Why is temptation so powerful? – Sword of the Spirit, Part 1”
The danger of folk theology – Ezekiel 13, Part 1
In a Peanuts comic strip, Linus is standing next to his bed, wearing his pajamas, hands with palms together like they would be for some about to say their bedtime prayers. But instead of kneeling at his bed and praying, Linus is standing there, looking curiously at his hands. As his sister Lucy walks intoContinue reading “The danger of folk theology – Ezekiel 13, Part 1”
How bamboo can help you understand your role in the mission of God – Acts 13, Part 5
Right about this time every year in my family’s backyard, we have bamboo that grows like mad. In a matter of just a few days, a stalk can grow a couple feet. It’s so fast, I sometimes wonder if I stare at it if I’ll see the motion of the growth! Bamboo is also persistentContinue reading “How bamboo can help you understand your role in the mission of God – Acts 13, Part 5”
How God wants to change the world (& one practice that can help you hear the Spirit speak) – Acts 13, Part 1
Are you a gardener? Maybe you have some potted plants bringing life to your home. Maybe you have a flower bed? A vegetable garden? We have a vegetable garden with a berry patch, and a few weeks ago that berry patch was in serious need of weeding. So a couple weeks ago, I weeded it,Continue reading “How God wants to change the world (& one practice that can help you hear the Spirit speak) – Acts 13, Part 1”
Engaging Scripture 