–Originally posted on FWB21 April 7, 2011– This is the first in a series of posts containing a few thoughts on obedience–first as it is exemplified in the Bible, second as we should practice it, and third as we should teach it to our children. As I make my way through the Old Testament chronologically (thank you, Bible app!), one recurring thought is that there is a constant correlation between faith and obedience. Let me illustrate by sharing a few excerpts from Hebrews 11: By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. vs 7 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go […]
Sha-la-la-la-la-la…
–Originally published on FWB21 Mar 31, 2011– I like to sing. I mean seriously. I sing a lot of places, but when I’m working at home I like to really let it go. So, I was doing laundry the other day, and a song I haven’t heard in years popped in my head. Before I knew it, I was belting out: Sha-la-la-la-la-la, Live for today! As soon as the words escaped my lips, I stopped and shook my head. What on earth was I saying?! Immediately I was convicted. I am daily concerned with teaching my children truth and trying to live consistently what I say, yet here I am being thoughtless and careless with my words at the top […]
Seeking Discernment
–Originally published on FWB21 January 29, 2013– What do you do when bad things happen, or difficult times come, or a door seems to be closing? Do you stubbornly push through? Do you break down and give up? How do you discern the will of God when everything seems to be going wrong? Is it even possible to know? This week in our trek through I Thessalonians, we read 2:17-18 and compared it with Acts 16:6-8. In one instance, it is very clear that Satan was the one hindering Paul and his companions, and in another instance it was clearly the Holy Spirit. How on earth did they know the difference? Better yet, how on earth are we supposed to […]
Motherly Fasting
–Originally published on FWB21 January 9, 2013– When women talk about their roles and activities as mothers, rarely is fasting even mentioned, much less considered at any length. I am learning, though, that fasting has powerful implications in family life, and that we mothers do well when we put it into practice for our families. Fasting is altogether rather new to me as a regular spiritual discipline. Only within the past few months have I practiced it with any regularity. But I have seen powerful effects on my walk with Christ and on my family. First, fasting causes me to rely on God in a whole new way. When hunger (or, more frequently, a craving) strikes, I am reminded to […]
Mayan Predictions and the Christian Reaction
–Originally published on FWB21 December 20, 2012– “If I knew that tomorrow was the end of the world, I would still plant an apple tree today.” –Unknown Tomorrow, 12/21/2012, is supposed to mark the end of the world. Assuming the Mayans were wrong and nothing happens, this will be my fifth time to survive the end of the world (that I know of). But, assume the world does end tomorrow: Christ returns in His glory and brings an end to time. What then? Does that change what we’re doing today? For Christ-followers, the answer should be NO. We should already be living in light of Christ’s imminent return (as his disciples have for generations), finding a balance between planning for […]
The Hunger Games: A Call to Think
Because of all the buzz about The Hunger Games with the movie release this weekend, a friend of mine asked me to blog about it. I have read the trilogy, and literarily I could write a tome on the subject. But I don’t think that would be helpful here. There is something you must know about me: as a Christ-follower, I can’t read anything without intellectually and spiritually engaging with it and analyzing it in light of scripture. Now, my B.A. in English certainly aids me in the process, but I am convinced that this mental engagement should be true of every Christ-follower, regardless of education. Here is my previous blog post explaining why. Now, one might argue that the […]
Critical Thinking
–Originally published on FWB21 December 18, 2011– We believe in the inerrancy of scripture. To explain why is not the purpose of my post, but the inerrancy of scripture is an important foundation to understand in light of what I am going to say about the discipline of critical thinking. We should read the Bible historico-grammatically; that is, to say, within view of its historical and literary contexts in order to find the author’s (and Author’s) intended meaning. Now, this is probably a “duh”-statement for many of you, but I have been surprised over the years to find out just how many people do not do this (or know how to). If we do not understand the circumstances in which […]
The Radical Disciple, by John Stott–audio
The Radical Disciple, by John Stott, is divided into 8 chapters covering different aspects of discipleship: non-conformity, Christ-likeness, maturity, creation-care, simplicity, balance, dependence, and death. The audio version, which was supplied to me by ChristianAudio for review, is read by Grover Gardener. In my opinion, his narration style is perfect for this type of book. Stott does a fantastic job of articulating real abandonment in the pursuit of Christ. His chapters on non-conformity, balance, and death alone made the book worth reading. The problem with listening to an audio version is that there are so many quotable sentences that I found myself wishing for a hard copy to refer back to. Because of Stott’s style, there are also sentences where […]