Category: Bible Introduction

The Seven Last Sayings of Christ: A Provision for His Mother

This post was first published in March, 2015. —ed. In the midst of His greatest anguish, Christ’s attention was not on Himself and His needs. Even as He hung on the cross, beaten and bleeding to death, His focus was on all that His Father was accomplishing—we see that illustrated in each of His seven… Continue reading The Seven Last Sayings of Christ: A Provision for His Mother

The Seven Last Sayings of Christ: A Petition to the Father

This post was first published in March, 2015. —ed. Famous last words can be tragic or inspiring. Not everyone has the opportunity to choose their last words carefully, but for those who see death coming, what message of wisdom, love, confession, or summation do they deliver with their final breaths? In preparation for the celebrations… Continue reading The Seven Last Sayings of Christ: A Petition to the Father

Jonah: The Rogue Prophet

This post was first published in March, 2015. —ed. The sea is no place to go for peace and quiet. Modern meteorology has documented the destructive power rogue waves, tropical cyclones, microbursts, and other weather phenomena that pose unique threats to ships at sea. But the storm described in the first chapter of Jonah was… Continue reading Jonah: The Rogue Prophet

Why I Still Preach the Bible

This post was first published in January, 2014. —ed. Sadly and ironically, in its attempt to achieve cultural relevance, mainstream evangelicalism has become essentially irrelevant. As Os Guiness points out, [1] the seductive promise of “relevance” is, in reality, the road to irrelevance. When the church markets itself like the world, the distinctiveness of its message is… Continue reading Why I Still Preach the Bible

Preach the Word: Because It Is Timeless and Powerful

This post was first published in January, 2014. —ed. A primary reason I still preach the Bible is that it alone is God’s eternal and divinely empowered message. Thus it is both timeless and truly powerful. More than four decades of ministry (or any finite number for that matter) could never begin to exhaust its freshness and richness, its depth… Continue reading Preach the Word: Because It Is Timeless and Powerful

Preach the Word: Because It Is Clear and Certain Truth

This post was first published in January, 2014. —ed. Pastors don’t know everything. In fact, an important part of shepherding God’s people is having the humility to take the time to search for the right answer instead of quickly and carelessly deploying the wrong one. But it’s one thing to tell your congregation “I don’t… Continue reading Preach the Word: Because It Is Clear and Certain Truth

Preach the Word: Because It Is God’s Authoritative Self-Revelation

This post was first published in January, 2014. —ed. While the sound of my voice might reach a lot of ears, it’s the biblical content that merits the attention, not me. My own ideas and opinions don’t contain “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Neither do yours. Preaching the Bible establishes the authority of… Continue reading Preach the Word: Because It Is God’s Authoritative Self-Revelation

Preach the Word: Because It Sanctifies God’s People

This post was first published in January, 2014. —ed. You wouldn’t withhold food from a starving man. Nor would you deny air to a drowning child. Frankly, that kind of monstrous behavior is hard to imagine. But that’s effectively what many pastors and church leaders are guilty of today, as they withhold that which is… Continue reading Preach the Word: Because It Sanctifies God’s People