Winter is here, snow is falling, and carols are playing in the living room. We just finished our first two-on-one snowball fight in the backyard and the sky is greying over to tell us that yet more snow is on the way. The seven-foot noble fir stands dignified and beautiful in the corner, decorated according to custom in all … More Life in Louisville
Learning is a process. But it’s not all progress. Sometimes we need regress. Trailblazing often begins with backtracking. What do I mean? Unlearning is as important as learning. We enter this world as instant learners. Before we can even feed ourselves, we’re digesting everything around us. We are innate, insatiable, incessant learners. But there’s a … More Learning to Unlearn
James, some of us are interested in teaching — you know, preaching in church, teaching the Bible, writing good books, leading small groups, blogging biblical insights, posting instructive Facebook notes. What do you think? Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers. Why not? There are two main reasons. What’s the first reason? We who teach will … More A Word to the Would-Be Teacher (James 3:1-13)
Five times in his pastoral letters Paul passes down a “trustworthy saying” to his pastors-in-training. Twice he says that these sayings are “deserving of full acceptance.” He is not saying that the rest of his statements are throwaways — only that these five are distinctively fundamental, foundational, and firm. They are worth reflecting on. The saying is trustworthy and … More Trustworthy Sayings
I have been benefiting from D. A. Carson’s A Call to Spiritual Reformation about the priorities of Paul’s prayers. The first chapter, “Lessons from the School of Prayer,” is a collection of lessons he’s learned from mature Christians over the years. It’s well worth your time; what follows is a summary of quotes and paraphrases … More Lessons from the School of Prayer
Time flies when you’re having fun, and when you’re wasting time. Just because you’ve always dreamed of doing something doesn’t mean you should do that something when the opportunity arises. The finding of balance is a great blessing, and a great problem. Write from your heart, not for your resumé. Diligent … More Ten More Brief Reflections
Sincerity may look like the courage to do what’s uncool, or the humility to do what’s cool. You have two options when things get tough: keep going or give up. Childhood is as precious as it is short. When exceptions are not exceptional, they should not be accepted. Saying no means … More Ten Brief Reflections
When did God first speak to His people? Long ago. How has God spoken to His people in the past? At many times and in many ways. Who did He speak to? He spoke to our fathers, the patriarchs. Who did He speak through? He spoke by the prophets. What about now? These are the … More God Has Spoken by His Son (Hebrews 1:1-4)
Perseverance demands power. Perseverance demands more than power, but not less. You also need faith, and hope, and love, and many other biblical fuels, but without the sheer power to keep going, perseverance is impossible. So where do we get this power, how do we get this power, and in what measure? Paul gives one striking answer in … More Power to Persevere
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” — Hebrews 13:8 Who is Jesus Christ today? The same as He was yesterday. Who will Jesus Christ be tomorrow? The same as He was yesterday and the same as He is today. Who was Jesus Christ yesterday? The same as He is today and the … More Jesus Christ Is the Same Yesterday and Today and Forever
Here are some nuggets of wisdom on academic research, quality argumentation, and dissertation writing. These come from Wednesday’s NT Colloquium meeting (faculty discussion) in which a NT student presented a working proposal for his dissertation. The ensuing dialogue was instructive on numerous counts. I’ll give credit where credit is due, unless I sense that (public) … More Notes from the Ph.D. (3)
Did you know that beginning in Greco-Roman times, the Greek infinitive began to decline in popular usage, and by the Byzantine period had all but disappeared in common communication? There are a lot of little linguistic jewels in this description by Antonius Jannaris in his Historical Greek Grammar: Notwithstanding its convenience, the Greek infinitive, compared … More The Decline of the Greek Infinitive
Titus, we heard that you just got a letter from Paul. What did he say? He said a lot, but at the end, he wanted me to remind you of some things. What kinds of things? To be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no … More The Why of Christian Living (Titus 3:1-8)
Have you ever noticed that the classic children’s story The Little Engine That Could bears a remarkable resemblance to The Good Samaritan? There are many recensions in its long history and several layers of morals involved, but the version I read to Judah on Tuesday night speaks volumes to a fundamental matter of the human psyche and the human condition. The little … More The Little Engine That Could, the Good Samaritan, and the Inborn Law of Love
One interesting (and horrible) thing about the endless tidbit discussions encouraged by contemporary written media is that the wonderful concept of the last, striking, unanswerable word is virtually unattainable. We’ve reached, at least in some settings, the end of the last word. You know that 15-comment Facebook discussion packed with lowercase one-liners where everyone’s channeling their inner debate team champion and … More The End of the Last Word
Paul, why are you praying? Because I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. What are you saying in your prayers for us? I’m thanking God for you. How often do you thank God for us? Every time I pray. Who are you praying to? The God … More Paul’s Prayer in Ephesians 1:15-23
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