I’m embarrassed to admit that I have always been a hopeless romantic. I spent several years reading anything I could find that involved a love story. I loved fairy tales long after they were considered age appropriate. Then I would watch and re-watch those sappy old romantic movies.1 I think that most of us (guys, … Continue reading –>
“We’re interrupting your regularly scheduled activity for an important message from your Creator. Please stand by.”1 Have you ever been going blindly and numbly about your everyday business and suddenly become aware that you are right in the middle of something that only God could have imagined before that moment? I remember one Sunday morning, … Continue reading –>
It is always interesting to observe a different culture and I have had the opportunity a couple of times when I have taught in Thailand. The overtness of Buddhist devotion was something new to me. It was not uncommon to encounter a shrine to Buddha where people were praying, offering incense or rubbing gold leaf … Continue reading –>
Do you know what a “user interface” is? If you do, please forgive me while I sound like I know what I’m talking about for a bit. The “user interface” is how the user (human) interacts with an electronic device. For example, on some computers, the user interface is the keyboard and mouse; tablet computers … Continue reading –>
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24 More exciting than getting what you ask for from God is just knowing He listens to you! In the summer of 1991 I was enjoying my first full year of Literature … Continue reading –>
How many hours of sleep do you get on an average night? Do you get the full eight, or do you feel lucky to get five? How many hours a week do you work (for pay)? How many more do you work at home? Do you ever feel really rested? I heard someone remembering being … Continue reading –>
What is your attitude toward obedience? a. I’ll do what I want. I don’t care what God wants me to do. b. If God will give me what I want first, then I’ll give Him what He wants. c. I’ll give God what He wants first, with faith that He’ll give me what I want. … Continue reading –>
Friday’s section of “The God of Grace and Judgment” asks the question, “What’s the deadly spiritual trap of thinking that because we’re saved by grace, it doesn’t matter what we do? How can you protect yourself against falling into that deception?” On the golf course we have another word for grace. It is called a … Continue reading –>
A friend of mine tells the story of the time when he was on a train filled with other academy students, returning home for a term break. It was one of those trains where the carriages comprised individual compartments, called “dog boxes” in Australian parlance. Students, being students, were making the most of these dog … Continue reading –>
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. (Hebrews 11:8 NKJV) He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, … Continue reading –>
The term “worship”, whether used in a religious or secular context, is supposed to reflect an attitude and ongoing experience rather than a specific activity or event. Sometimes it seems that humanity embraces worship more fully when the object of that worship is not God. For instance, many people worship their possessions, their favorite celebrities, … Continue reading –>
Too often, discussions about the importance or relevance of the Sabbath focus on what to do (or not to do) on the Sabbath. This inevitably leads to arguments which are usually unproductive. Instead of the Do/Don’t aspect of the Sabbath, let us briefly consider its significance and relevance to us today. The Sabbath reminds us … Continue reading –>
In a previous post I commented on three types of worship, including personal worship, and some have asked me to expand on the latter. Personal worship has come under some scrutiny recently with the rise in interest in “spiritual formation.” The topic is quite relevant to the lesson on Conformity, Compromise and Crisis in Worship because … Continue reading –>
Before we take this week’s lesson title (Conformity, Compromise and Crisis in Worship) as an excuse to proscribe forms of worship that we do not like, we need to consider worship in its wider context. There are three aspects of worship (Yes I am well aware that my classification is not the only one but … Continue reading –>
Some Bible stories seem to indicate that God’s will was done by ignoring one or more of His commandments. What does this say to us? I would like our readers to suggest some answers. In response to the lesson plan for “Two Classes of Worshipers,” one of our readers concluded (in an unpublished comment) that … Continue reading –>