In 1 Samuel God wanted to be the king of Israel, but Israel wanted to be like the other nations and have their own king. Instead of being a peculiar people, they wanted to blend in with the world as much as possible. Even today, I hear Christian leaders boast how the church resembles worldly … Continue reading –>
Several years ago, an American restaurant chain had commercials suggesting the different reasons to go out to eat at their restaurant and celebrate. Maybe you found 50 cents in the pockets of some old jeans, or maybe you hit all the lights green on your way home from work. The lighthearted message of the commercials, … Continue reading –>
Thursday’s section of this week’s lesson asks, Is there someone to whom you need to show mercy, who perhaps doesn’t deserve it? Why not show this person that mercy, no matter how hard that might be to do? Isn’t that what Jesus has done for us? After running from God, Jonah had given up on … Continue reading –>
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV Romans 9 is not about Jacob or Esau being predestined for salvation or not. It is about the role they were to play. Some … Continue reading –>
A while back, I was a member of a church that joined other community churches of various denominations in a social justice group. The idea was good. They wanted to help homeless people get cell phones, so they could leave a number on job applications. They wanted buses running later at night for people who … Continue reading –>
I have talked to more than one single Christian, who told me, “When I promised God I would wait until I was married, I figured I would be married by now.” Other singles, even in the church, seem to think no sex before marriage just means no sex while you are a teenager. Age isn’t … Continue reading –>
As a child on family vacations, I loved standing on the ocean’s shore, imagining what lay on the other side. I would watch the waves roll in from who knows how far away. I would see ships sailing for far-away lands that I could only dream about. After I grew up and became very busy, … Continue reading –>
In the previous post we began exploring the uniqueness in Adventism, beginning with its presuppositions. In this post we will look at how those presuppositions impact the way in which Adventism understands the narrative of Scripture. We will focus on the Big and Middle stories today. In the next and final post we will bring … Continue reading –>
I want to share two passages, that many claim contradict each other. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Romans 3:28 NKJV You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. James 2:24 NKJV When I run into apparent … Continue reading –>
Sunday’s section of this week’s lesson asks, How successful have your efforts in law-keeping been? What should that answer tell you about the futility of trying to be saved by keeping the law? What if I told you that just as assuredly as you already sinned in Adam, you have also already lived a perfect … Continue reading –>
