Salty Christians

Read “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.”Matthew 5:13 (NIV) Salty Christians: Do you know salt is essential to life and health, but when we use too much… Continue reading Salty Christians

Tapping Into What God Has Given You

A little trivia for you history nerds: This year is the 120th anniversary of the oil gusher at Spindletop near Beaumont, TX. Why is that such a big deal? It’s considered the launch of America’s oil industry. Yes, America had an oil industry before then. After all, Rockefeller’s Standard Oil is what made him so… Continue reading Tapping Into What God Has Given You

NEW: Book of the Month Recommendation – Enjoying the Journey

When Paul was sitting in a Roman prison, facing death, he was still growing. In his final letter to Timothy he requested a number of things, and notable in the list is the phrase: “bring…the books” (2 Timothy 4:13). Throughout the apostle’s writings he quotes from a number of sources and it is clear that… Continue reading NEW: Book of the Month Recommendation – Enjoying the Journey

Book Drawing: “Through the Bible in 40 Riddles” by Rick Bassett

       Book Drawing: “Through the Bible in 40 Riddles” by Rick Bassett for the young person in your life!  And maybe you also! Through the Bible in 40 Riddles is a new and exciting approach to helping kids get comfortable using the Bible. Written by Rick Bassett, a pastor with formal training in Christian Formation… Continue reading Book Drawing: “Through the Bible in 40 Riddles” by Rick Bassett

The Book of the Prophet Micah – Part 1

The Prophet MicahRussian Orthodox Icon of the Prophet Micah (18th Century)Kizhi Monastery, Karelia, Russia Early in my seminary education, I developed an interest in studying the prophet Micah. One of my professors told me that my interest in Micah came because of my background as a pastor working with poor and oppressed people in California.… Continue reading The Book of the Prophet Micah – Part 1

The Wiles of Satan: A Book Recommendation

By Elizabeth Prata I love to read the Puritans. Darrell Harrison, Dean of Digital Platforms at Grace To You Media, recommended this book, so I took a look. It’s The Wiles of Satan, by the previously unheard of Puritan William Spurstowe. DB Harrison said: “Of all the Puritan books I’ve read, I have to say this… Continue reading The Wiles of Satan: A Book Recommendation

The Book of Judges – A Hermeneia Commentary

Mark S. Smith and Elizabeth M. Bloch-Smith, Judges 1: A Commentary on Judges 1:1 – 10:5. Hermeneia. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2021. ISBN 978-0800660628. $85.00. lviii + 864 pp. I am a frequent user and an enthusiastic promoter of the Hermeneia commentaries. The Hermeneia commentaries are scholarly commentaries that seek to explore and explain every detail of… Continue reading The Book of Judges – A Hermeneia Commentary

An Introduction to the Book of Joel

The Prophet Joelby MichelangeloThe Sistine Chapel The prophecy of Joel came out of his experience with the intense swarm of locust that attacked the Judean countryside. Joel detected in that profoundly disturbing event a sign of the approaching Day of Yahweh with its terrifying judgment. Joel was the son of Pethuel. Nothing is known about… Continue reading An Introduction to the Book of Joel

Studies on the Book of Genesis

The Book of Genesis is the first book of the Old Testament. Genesis is also the first book of the Pentateuch, also known as “the five books of Moses.” The name of the book comes from the Greek word genesis (γένεσις) which means “beginning.” The Hebrew name is bereshith (בראשית), a name taken from the first word of the… Continue reading Studies on the Book of Genesis