Most of us are familiar with the story of the three blind men who had an elephant brought to them. They were to tell everyone what the animal was like. One of the men was near the trunk of the elephant. He grabbed it and said, “An elephant is like a mighty snake—a great boaContinue reading ““What must I do to be saved?””
Tag Archives: Bible study
Hiking through this World
A few years before her death, Queen Elizabeth and her protection officer, Richard Griffin, were hiking in Scotland not far from her castle in Balmoral. They came across two tourists from America on a “walking holiday.” The Queen always made it a point to stop and talk to fellow hikers, so she greeted the pairContinue reading “Hiking through this World”
Mary Takes a Trip
Mary’s trip to see her relative, Elizabeth, is one of those episodes that’s unique to Luke’s gospel. In this early section of his gospel, Luke is showing Theophilus how God broke into the world to set up the kingdom of Jesus. Rather than tapping into existing power structures like the Roman Empire or the Jewish aristocracy,Continue reading “Mary Takes a Trip”
Scattered
The word “scattered” is used only four times in the book of Acts, but its significance is much greater than that number would suggest. By the time Luke wrote his gospel, “scattered” had a well-established meaning. It went back to the days of Babel when the people rebelled against God’s purpose for them to spreadContinue reading “Scattered”
It Seemed Good to Me
When Luke was writing the introduction to his gospel, he noted two groups of people: The first group would be the apostles, and the other would be a second generation of disciples who came after them. Luke would be part of that group. So, he began his treatise to Theophilus by acknowledging the original communicatorsContinue reading “It Seemed Good to Me”
Meditating on God’s Word
One of my favorite borrowed sayings goes something like this: “Our goal isn’t to get through the Scripture as much as it is for the Scripture to get through us.” I like that because I know from personal experience how easy it is to get distracted as you work your way through Scripture. You’re busyContinue reading “Meditating on God’s Word”
After Dinner Conversation
Did you know that all foods share at least one common ingredient? No matter what kind of food you’re eating, it contains a social ingredient which means it always tastes better in the company of others. Food is something God gave us not just to nourish our bodies, but to nourish our relationships. Get people together toContinue reading “After Dinner Conversation”
Proclaiming with Power and Authority (1)
In terms of development, Luke favors geography more than chronology (Krol). After alternating between the early lives of John and Jesus in the first three chapters, he takes us to Galilee (4-9), Samaria (10-19), and Jerusalem (20-24) in telling us the story of Jesus. Chronology isn’t ignored (see 7:21, 9:51), but neither does he strictlyContinue reading “Proclaiming with Power and Authority (1)”
Proclaiming with Power and Authority (2)
In living for Christ then disciples are proclaiming the reign of God as well as providing proof of such. By “living for Christ,” I don’t mean disciples are to be good people doing nice things—there are plenty of people doing that who (sadly) don’t belong to Jesus. By living for Christ I mean that ratherContinue reading “Proclaiming with Power and Authority (2)”
When You’re Feeling a Little Lost
“Lost” is a little word with enormous meaning. We use it spiritually, relationally, materially, athletically, financially, and in just about every other way you can imagine. In its ultimate sense, lost means to be estranged from God and the life He desires for us, but it’s quite possible to be in relationship with God andContinue reading “When You’re Feeling a Little Lost”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 