Laziness is hard to see in ourselves, because--like greed and envy--it really begins as an inner disposition. For example, the difference between a lazy person laying on the couch, and someone simply resting on the couch is probably two-fold: inner motivation and the context of someone's overall life. Why are you sitting on the couch?…
Come Home: A Theology of Exile and Return
God created Adam and Eve as His imager-bearers in the world (Genesis 1:26-27). They had a relationship with God (they were “sons” of God) and also they had a commission over creation to be servant kings.[1] Although not specifically part of the imago dei, God marked off humanity with sexual complementarity for the basis of…
2 Obstacles Which Keep You From God’s Mission (And What To Do About Them)
After Jonah had been in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights, he is very literally propelled outward on God’s mission: "And Yahweh spoke to the fish. And it vomited Jonah onto the dry land" (Jonah 2:10). In essence, God was giving Jonah a second chance, a fresh start. For all of Jonah’s…
Learning to Shepherd From the Good Shepherd
Christ is the Good Shepherd. As the Good Shepherd, He is first and foremost our sacrificial Savior (John 10:11). But Christ is also an example to follow in learning how to care for God’s people. It is not surprising that pastors are commanded to “shepherd” God’s people, who are also liken to a “flock” of…
The Delay of God’s Justice (Psalm 73)
It often doesn’t feel like God is a just Judge, right? I mean, it often looks like the wicked triumph. It looks like evil gets its way. The prosperity of the wicked is exactly the issue that the author of Psalm 73 is grappling with. His faith is shaken: “But as for me, my feet came…
Aligning Ourselves With God’s Mission (Mark 3:7-19)
Although Mark 3:7-19 may be easy to glide over because it contains healing stories which are prevalent in Mark’s gospel as well as a list of names, it is loaded with richness and applicability for the church today. Mark 3:7-19 [7] Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from…
Were Old Covenant Believers Indwelt by the Holy Spirit?
Were old covenant believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit? No. They did not need to be. God dwelt in the temple. He was thereby with them. How did old covenant believers become and remain faithful? They became faithful by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, which in the OT is described more as ‘circumcision…
God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment–A Review (Kind of)
Does the Bible have a main point? Is there an overarching unity—or a center—which binds Scripture together? Those are the types of questions that Jim Hamilton seeks to answer in God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment. In short, Hamilton argues that—you guessed it—the main point of the Bible is God’s glory in salvation through judgment.…
Tips and Resources for Bible Intake
Where can you come to know Jesus Christ more? Through God's Word, the Bible. The life of God's new creation community, the church, is marked by a devotion to the Scriptures: "Let the word of Christ richly dwell among you" (Colossians 3:16). Below are seven practical ways to take in more of God's Word. Read the Bible…
Forgiveness is Not to be Withheld
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!" Jesus said: “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money…
Raising Lazarus 