Join us as we read through Genesis

Join us as we study through Genesis.

Join us as we read through the Bible. We hope these questions and thoughts will help you with your study of His Word.

Homemaking is a term with a lot of weight attached. Depending on who you ask you will receive different answers as to what homemaking is, and whose job it is to do the homemaking. Homemaking is simply taking care of one's home through cooking, cleaning, teaching, etc. There is an uprising of memes in social media embracing the image of a frantic, stressed, mother. These memes embrace moms that are constantly making excuses for a dirty house, being unorganized, stressed, and being a "hot mess mom." 

Join us as we read through the Bible. We hope these questions and thoughts will help you with your study of His Word.

It is a common thing to hear complaints about how bad the world is getting. Whether it is the latest tragic headline, personal experiences, or just a general sense of wickedness, it is easy to observe how the world is filled with evil. The Bible tells us this is the common history of humanity: human beings proliferate (multiply) wickedness. Has there ever been a time when things have been so grievous as to make God regret making mankind?

Books usually start by introducing their main theme, main character(s), main antagonist, or main plot point. The Bible does all of this within the first few chapters of Genesis. We learn in these chapters the beginning of all things - that “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. This sets a context for our reading of the Bible - that the Bible deals with real things in our universe.

The quote is the words of Martin Luther from the Diet of Worms trial that was held to judge him as a heretic if he didn’t recant his teachings. His answer, simple yet profound, has been in the historical records ever since. “Since your most serene majesty and your lordships require of me a simple, clear and direct answer, I will give one, and it is this: Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures and by clear reason (for I do not trust in the pope or councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted. My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.”

With the fall, every area of our life as humans has been affected by sin in such a way that we’re all inclined to evil; there are no innocent human beings. That means that our reason, our emotions, our desires, etc., are inclined to evil, not that they are as evil as they can be all the time, but we’re not by nature good since the fall. Human nature has gone astray; we’re now selfish people who look for our own good and our own benefit above anyone else. That also means that every good gift given to us by God has also been stained by sin, including our consciences.

“The old woman is of no consequence,” he thought, hotly and incoherently. “The old woman was a mistake perhaps, but she is not what matters! The old woman was only an illness. . . . I was in a hurry to overstep. . . . I didn’t kill a human being, but a principle! I killed the principle, but I didn’t overstep, I stopped on this side. . . . I was only capable of killing. And it seems I wasn’t even capable of that . . . Principle? ... And what shows that I am utterly a louse,” he added, grinding his teeth, “is that I am perhaps viler and more loathsome than the louse I killed, and I felt beforehand that I should tell myself so after killing her. Can anything be compared with the horror of that? The vulgarity! The abjectness!”

A gift from God to restrict our sin. Regardless of how comfortable we are with our sin, how well we’ve hidden it, when we are in the spotlight, when it is revealed to the eyes of others, there’s something within us that will psychologically and physically condemn us. It is a sensation that we cannot escape. 

For someone to post an image of themselves in a representative way as being a member of the Trinity, is to follow in the folly of Nebuchadnezzar who considered all the greatness of his empire and attributed his success to his own glory, power, and majesty (Daniel 4:30). The Lord humbled Nebuchadnezzar in a very effective, but awful manner (Daniel 4:31-34). To claim divine status is a practice that the ancient Pharaohs of Egypt engaged in, and were ultimately judged for by God in the 10 plagues (Exodus 7-11). Ancient Roman Caesars claimed divinity, yet their empire shrank and went by the wayside even as the gospel of Jesus Christ spread throughout their lands and beyond.

For the follower of Jesus hardship comes just as it does for the nonbeliever. Yet the believer is equipped to handle hardship in a way that is distinct from the nonbeliever. The believer has a hope and a plan even in the midst of hardship. The plan in hardship for the believer is the same as the plan in peace: follow Jesus.

One of those uncomfortable topics is the anger and wrath of God towards sin. We get uncomfortable when we discuss the plagues that God sent to Pharaoh during the time of the Exodus, or the Exile of Israel from the promised land to Babylonian captivity. When a doubting world asks about the Canaanite conquest, we become silent. We might get uncomfortable when we read about a man who knew no sin and yet he was suffering and ultimately was punished for crimes which he did not himself commit.

We enter into the divine discussion and interrupt the flow of the cosmic conversation only by the intercession of another. The work Jesus Christ engages in on a daily basis since his ascension is to intercede for his people in the courts of heaven.

When we think of the gospel going out into the world there are a great many things that come to mind. Missions efforts, evangelistic crusades, interpersonal conversations about Jesus, baptisms, testimonies, transformed lives, church plants, sermons, bible translation, and more. Often when we think of the gospel spreading, we think in the present sense. We consider the present global spiritual landscape and then carry on with that in mind. This is a good thing and is in no way worthy of critique. The apostles were dedicated in their lives (during what was their time in the “present”) to the spread of the gospel widely. They traveled afar, and had gospel conversations with people from dozens of cultures, lands, and languages. 

By Paul’s exercise of appealing to another approach, besides the direct application of apostolic authority, we learn much more of the opportunity Paul was presenting to Philemon. It is much better when, as Christian people, we do what we ought to do with an attitude and sense of voluntary graciousness. Our God loves a giver who cheerfully gives. Paul’s mentioning of his apostolic authority is an extension of a chance for Philemon to do what is good without being under compulsion. Rather than any sense of obligation, Paul gives Philemon the chance to do good out of an abounding persuasion and love. 

25 I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27 NIV

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. 1 John 3:16-24

Can I faithfully, truthfully say to my congregants (of whom I've had several just over the last year) who ask, "can't you just use AI to write your sermon?" "No, I need to spend time in the world, in thought, and in prayer. AI is helpful as a tool, like word studies, logos, translation tools, commentaries, and outlines, but AI is only a part of the toolbelt for sermon prep. It can't write the sermon for me. The sermon has to first become a living, breathing message in my own life that overflows into and out of the pulpit and streets where I preach.