Why is it so Hard to Help People? Part 2: Tyranny, Order & Chaos
In our first part, Human Nature, we pondered the reason that it is so hard to really help people. It’s not hard to try to be helpful, people often strive…
Why is It So Hard to Really Help People? Part 1: Human Nature
Ever notice how hard it is to help people? We are always losing the war on drugs, stagnating in the war on poverty, failing to end bullying, never quite able…
101 Most Misunderstood Verses
Biblical Language Issues
Biblical Studies
Biblical Theology
HAGALAH
Inductive Study Methods
Old Testament Studies
Without a Vision… People Misinterpret Proverbs 29:18; Radio Spot. Take a Listen
In this edited sermon, I address the common misinterpretation of the line in Isaiah 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish. First people fail to quote the whole…
Why the United Airlines Fiasco Leaves Me Little Hope for the Future of Our Nation
If you’ve seen the video that was released this week where the man is being dragged off a United Airline’s flight because he refused to exit the plane when asked…
What Does “Son of God” Really Mean in the Gospel of Mark
I am pleased to welcome Othello Mugugu back as a guest blogger today. He originally hails from Zimbabwe, has a Bachelors from Northpoint Bible College, Serves in the American Army,…
Biblical Theology
HAGALAH
Inductive Study Methods
Meeting the Jesus of Mark
New Testament Studies
NT's Use of the OT
The Great Miracle Worker… the Radio Spot. Take a Listen.
This is the heavily edited 6th narrative sermon in the Gospel of Mark. Here Mark uses a repeating story structure to portray Jesus as a deified man who overcomes the…
101 Most Misunderstood Verses
Bible Backgrounds
HAGALAH
Inductive Study Methods
Meeting the Jesus of Mark
New Testament Studies
True and False Religion… the Radio Spot. Take a Listen
This is the 8th narrative sermon in the Gospel of Mark in which Jesus’ confrontation of the Pharisaic regulations called “The Traditions of the Elders,” which are a body of…
Controversial Christ… the Radio Spot. Take a Listen.
This is the 3rd narrative sermon in the gospel of Mark. In it, Mark uses a repeated story pattern to develop the increasing tensions between Jesus and the religious leaders…
Successful Charity vs. Dysfunctional Enablement
When do you know that your charity efforts have been successful? You have not succeeded when a stream of the same hungry people eat from your hand day after day…
The Parable Preaching Pattern… the Radio Spot. Take a Listen.
This is a highly edited sermon on the 5th narrative sermon of the Gospel of Mark. In it I address Mark’s depiction of Jesus’ parable telling. It is the first…
The Coming of God in the Coming of Christ… Radio spot. Take a listen.
This is the first of a series of sermons drawn from a course I teach on inductive study that I call, MEETING THE JESUS OF MARK. I introduce the idea…
Do the New Testament Writer’s Care About Context, Part 5: The Life of Biblical Texts
In this series I am unpacking seven paths of investigation that a person should take in his or her attempt to understand a New Testament author’s USE of an Old…
Let’s Think About This Practically: A Response to “I Lost My Purity (And I Haven’t Had Sex)” Part 2
The article, “I Lost My Purity (And I Haven’t Had Sex)” is well written, provocative, cleverly titled, and advances the true notion that sexual purity is bigger than virginity, fornication,…
Let’s Think About This Practically: A Response to “I Lost My Purity (And I Haven’t Had Sex)” Part 1
It is common to find certain posts on social media that have gone viral. They are usually something provocative that challenges (at least in my circles) the standard Evangelical Christian…
Deadly Compassion: When Suffering Trumps Discipleship
I’ve been reading of late, a lot of viral posts on social media in which a person accuses pastors and churches, teachers and schools, politicians, police, government agencies and the…
Justice Seeker vs. Sinner Winner
Two realities confront us a Christians. The first is that, as loving members of our own communities, it is unthinkable that we do not do all that is in our…
Do the New Testament Writer’s Care About Context, Part 4: The Shape of Biblical References
We’ve been considering the claim that Matthew’s appeal to YHWH’s historical deliverance of Israel from Egypt in Hosea 11:1 is proof positive that the NT writers cared little to nothing…
An Unwelcomed Gift
Consequences, pain, suffering and loss are unwelcomed gifts from a loving creator to wayward creatures. Only discomfiture of one kind or another drives change. Only a sense of dissatisfaction with…
Spirituality is Not a Personality Trait
I’ve had some interesting discussions this week about various churches’ perception of “Spirituality, Love & Humility,” My ministry is non-denominational and I travel around a bit so I encounter all…
Do the New Testament Writer’s Care About Context, Part 3: What is This Guy Doing?
In this series we are laying the ground work for analyzing the common suggestion that Matthew 2:15 proves that the New Testament writers don’t care about the original context of…