The Bible is a big book, encompassing almost four thousand years of human history and containing various genres of literature from poetry to prophecy. Even though the Bible seemingly contains so many disparate parts, the church has historically discerned a general movement, or plot structure, to Scripture's story. In the recent history of the American…
Precedented Times
We need to get over ourselves in many different ways. One of the biggest afflictions facing the all the generations alive today is narcissism. We have genuinely come to believe that our tine and place is unique, different, and "unprecedented." We have faced a pandemic...unprecedented (but one just happened in 1918)! We have abundant wealth…
A Deep Life System
We all want to live "deeply," a life of meaning and significance. But how does that happen? It does not happen haphazardly. One of the benefits of modern life is that we can often be given the freedom to think deeply about our lives and can control much more of our lives than ever before.…
Clearing the Decks Doesn’t Work (Or Why the “Two Minute” Rule is a Trap)
A common productivity trope is the "two minute rule": if a task will take two minutes or less, do it right now. The two minute rule can feed into a mindset where we need "clear the decks" (get small things done and out of the way) so we can then focus on the more important…
Yes, God wants you to be happy
It's true that God wants you to be happy. The question really becomes, "Where do we find happiness?" And the answer to that question in the Scriptures is God Himself. King David writes about having a relationship with God, "You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.2 | Real Knowledge Comes from Knowing Our Flaws
When we examine ourselves in light of God's truth, we should be disabused of the idea that we ever be confident in our own abilities or desiring to brag about ourselves. Instead, we should be inclined to submit to God's will. We all should follow this path if we desire to attain the true goal…
Effortless by Greg McKeown
Maybe life doesn't have to be so hard. Author Greg McKeown experienced firsthand some of the difficulties of modern life, when he experienced his own case of burnout and exhaustion. He wondered, "What does one do when they've stripped life down to the essentials, and it's still too much?" (9). Unable to push himself further,…
Blogging the Institutes | 2.1.1 | Knowledge of Self and Sin
An ancient proverb says that people must know themselves. If it disgraceful to be ignorant about the things of life, how much disgraceful is ignorance of yourself! If we are ignorant of ourselves, we end up deceiving ourselves of what matters most. It's like we're walking blindfolded through life. Unfortunately, some philosophers have misused the…
Blogging the Institutes | 1.18.4 | Is God the Author of Evil?
Some people raise another objection to God's complete sovereignty over all things. They argue that if God not only uses the wicked's actions to accomplish his purpose, but actually governs their thoughts and affections, then God must be the author of all their sins. And, therefore, when people are merely executing what God has decreed,…
Blogging the Institutes | 1.18.3 | Objections to the Fact that God Wills All Things
I have written about what Scripture unambiguously teaches. Those who disagree with what I have written need to realize the kind of rebuke they deserve. What greater arrogance could there be than to disagree with the authority of God? For instance, to say "I think about things differently" or "This topic should have be broached."…
Raising Lazarus 