When I taught on the Tabernacle back in May 2013, I wanted the students to get a sense of the actual size of the Tabernacle. Now I couldn’t build a Tabernacle, but I could stake out the dimensions of the Tabernacle. So I went to the local hardware store in Hayward and bought some supplies: […]
I am almost as much of a fan of Tim Keller as I am of N.T. Wright. Keller speaks with such clarity and cultural relevance regarding the Christian faith and the core tenets and application of the Gospel. I appreciate Tim Keller’s wisdom when he shares it. Jefferson Bethke did an interview with Keller and asked […]
I’m a big fan of N.T. Wright. I have been heavily influenced by his teachings on Jesus and the kingdom of God as well as his perspective on Paul. I’ve listened to a couple of graduate courses by Wright as well as countless seminars and conference lectures. Needless to say, when N.T. Wright speaks, I […]
Back in March we went through the rationale of the Fall of Judah and the exile of the southern 2 tribes of Judah. Here is a list of the kings of Judah, the years of their reign, and whether they did evil in the sight of the LORD (-) or good in the sight of […]
Back in March we went through the rationale of the Fall of Samaria and the exile of the northern 10 tribes of Israel. Here is a list of the kings of Israel, the years of their reign, and whether they did evil in the sight of the LORD (-) or good in the sight of […]
“Jesus looked at him and loved him” (Mark 10:21a) I think the wealthy man who asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life wanted Jesus to pat him on the back for all of his obedience of the commandments. I think the man wanted Jesus to say something like: “Way to go! I’m so proud of […]
Bart Ehrman recently wrote a book entitled: Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth Due to an increase in a popular conception that seeks to argue that the historical Jesus never existed, Dr. Ehrman felt compelled to write a book to: “…convince genuine seekers who really want to know how we know […]
If you were to come across an individual bashing your car with a baseball bat. What would you do? You would probably call the police! What if, when the police officer arrives, the offender apologizes to the officer, and the patrolman looks at you and says: “He’s sorry. Why don’t you just let it go?” […]
Ray Vander Laan is a phenomenal teacher and historian. His understanding of the world of the Bible has impacted thousands of people. I’ve been impacted by him through his “That the World May Know” videos, where he does teaching segments of Jewish history while on location with a group in Israel. I’ve learned fascinating things […]
I got asked to contribute a chapter to a soon-to-be-published book called Pulse: Pumping Life into Your Kids Ministry. Here is an excerpt from the chapter I wrote: Encountering the Biblical Narrative Engaging children in the chronological, linear, and unfolding biblical narrative. “The biblical tale, through the most rigorous economy of means, leads us again […]
[icon color=”Accent-Color” size=”large” image=”icon-quote-left”] “[The Apostle Paul’s] missionary work, it appears, must be conceived not simply in terms of a traveling evangelist offering people a new religious experience, but of an ambassador for a king-in-waiting, establishing cells of people loyal to this new king, and ordering their lives according to his story, his symbols, and […]
I heard it said recently that “problems are opportunities for God to work in your life.” That statement is true, but it seems to limit God working in your life only when you have problems (and you don’t need Him when your life is going well). I can assure you that God is working in […]
“As a saint of God, my attitude toward sorrow and difficulty should not be to ask that they be prevented, but to ask that God protect me so that I may remain what He created me to be, in spite of all my fires of sorrow.” As humans who live in a world that we […]
“When there is any hope at all of persuasion, God goes for conviction and conversion, not condemnation. God never denounces somebody in such a way that sets up the person being denounced for failure.” Tim Keller, David and Bathsheba
“God uses language to tell us things, and the Bible is the language that he’s used.” source YouTube
I have a young friend named Levi. He’s says and does some really neat things. Levi is very spiritually attuned and he really wants to know about the Lord. The other day, Levi drew something on the whiteboard we have in what we call Main Street Theatre, and he wanted me to see it. This is […]
My favorite part of this article was the first two paragraphs: “To truly disciple is to realign our affections – and those of the person we’re discipling – to a greater Person. Unfortunately, many youth ministries do not focus on making disciples or the heart change of their young people. “Instead, behavior modification, moral change, or intellectual assent are often emphasized. This […]
This past Sunday I preached a message called: “Repent and Believe.” It was a very personal message about what God has been doing in my life the past 31 years and how Christianity is as simple as: Repent and believe Here is the link below: haywardwesleyan.org/2013/04/21/repent-and-believe-the-gospel/
“Here then, in conclusion, is the picture of the ministry of Jesus I have been trying to put before you. “Jesus believed that Israel had been called to be God’s saved and saving nation, the agent through whom God intended to assert his sovereignty over the rest of the world, and that the time had come when God […]
If there is one thing I’ve learned (or picked up) from N.T. Wright’s Jesus and the Kingdom of God, is that: It is vitally important to place the vocation of Jesus in its historical context Could Jesus have come at a different time in history? Earlier or later than he did? After all, we often […]