The psalmist supplies us with several reasons for praising God. At the start of his list is “forget not all of His benefits” (103:2). In v. 3-8 he enumerates some of those. Applicationally speaking, this is a part of the psalm where there is plenty of room for us to personalize the psalm by thinkingContinue reading “Reasons to Praise”
Category Archives: Opening the Bible
Atonement
The Hebrew writer is involved in an extended discussion about the superiority of Jesus to the angels that begins in 1:4 and continues through 2:18. In 1:5-14, he quotes seven Old Testament texts to make his case. He then pauses in 2:1-4 to exhort his readers to “pay the most careful attention” to the messageContinue reading “Atonement”
A Midwife Crisis
While it’s true that when we think of the book of Exodus mothers don’t immediately pop into our minds, it is nonetheless the case that in addition to Jochebed, his mother, there were at least five other women who had a significant impact on Moses’ life. Two of these were Shiprah and Puah. They were HebrewContinue reading “A Midwife Crisis”
Shaped by the Story
We are all shaped by stories, aren’t we? A tender-hearted teenager hears a speaker talk about their work as a medical missionary and they decide right then and there that’s what they want to do with their life. Someone else reads a biography of a Navy Seal and thinks, “That’s for me!” This kind ofContinue reading “Shaped by the Story”
What Makes a Church Special?
“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.” Paul to the Ephesians in 1:16 of his letter. Here’s one of those verses that’s easy to rush right past. It’s not hard to think of Paul’s statement as being the first century equivalent of asking someone today, ”How are you doing.” We don’tContinue reading “What Makes a Church Special?”
Jesus And Virtue Signaling
Dictionary.com defines virtue signaling as “the action or practice of publicly expressing opinions or sentiments intended to demonstrate one’s good character or the moral correctness of one’s position on a particular issue.” Although social media has certainly provided the means for this to be done on a larger scale than ever before, there is absolutelyContinue reading “Jesus And Virtue Signaling”
The Walk of Life (3)
Paul has more to say about the disciples’ walk in Ephesians 5. He begins by telling us we are to “walk in the way of love” (v. 2). Love has a way (1 Corinthians 13:1-8) and despite what popular culture tells us, it has very little to do with our feelings. If you look Paul’s listContinue reading “The Walk of Life (3)”
The Walk of Life (4)
They had known each other since they were ten years old. They went to the same school, grew up in the same neighborhood, played ball together, spent the night at each other’s house, and did all the other things that good friends do. Somewhere in their early to mid-teens, they began to drift apart. SomeContinue reading “The Walk of Life (4)”
The Way of Jesus
Charlie Brown is walking in his neighborhood at night and he come across Linus who is holding a candle. He asks him about it and Linus says he has heard it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Charlie Brown agrees but says there are some people who see things differently.Continue reading “The Way of Jesus”
The Walk of Life (1)
Paul’s letters often fall into a basic, two-part division. The first part is theology while the second is about turning theology into biography. Paul follows this pattern in Ephesians with the first three chapters focusing on teaching and the last three on living. Paul could reach up into the heavens on subjects, but he wasContinue reading “The Walk of Life (1)”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 