{"id":173,"date":"2012-02-24T06:30:00","date_gmt":"2012-02-24T13:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.195.124.95\/~redletu4\/finding-comfort-in-the-company-of-the-bibles-baddest-dudes\/"},"modified":"2012-02-24T06:30:00","modified_gmt":"2012-02-24T13:30:00","slug":"finding-comfort-in-the-company-of-the-bibles-baddest-dudes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/finding-comfort-in-the-company-of-the-bibles-baddest-dudes\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding comfort in the company of the Bible’s baddest dudes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
Since I was barely out of the womb, I\u2019ve been in church. Sunday school, bible studies, small groups, sermons. I figure I\u2019ve got several years worth of hours of teaching soaked in there somewhere. I\u2019m still amazed that I\u2019m still not getting it.<\/span><\/div>\n
\nBut as I\u2019ve looked at the familiar Bible characters lately, I\u2019m seeing them differently as I read with an open mind.\u00a0All those great heros of faith were also involved in the most sordid of sinful ways. Murder. Adultery. Bribery. Lying. Cheating. Gambling, Addictions. <\/span>The Bible doesn\u2019t\u00a0hold anything back, so why should we? <\/span>This rosy picture that the world presumes upon the bible and it\u2019s adherents just isn\u2019t so. We aren\u2019t a bunch of goody two shoes. <\/span>\n<\/div>\n
We are broken, needy people. Just like them. <\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
\nWhy does the bible talk about Noah\u2019s drunkenness, David\u2019s adultery and Elijah\u2019s depression? Why does it show Samson\u2019s lust, Adam\u2019s complacency and Peter\u2019s cowardice? Why not just talk about the good parts.\u00a0It\u2019s because it wants our heroes to be real \u2013 and for God\u2019s redemption and grace to shine through.They are real men, with real weaknesses. And they serve a real God, who offers restoration.<\/span>\u00a0<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\nRomanian 7-year old Julian Stroe has better abs than I do<\/span><\/em>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

We each have our own story. There are some successes, some failures and some utter disasters. I have my own story. And for years, I\u2019ve been\u00a0dragging my tail around in defeat. But I\u2019m starting to find some good company in the Good Book.<\/span>

<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve screwed up, you might feel that that one act defines who you are. But it doesn\u2019t. A single chapter doesn\u2019t make a whole book<\/strong>. You\u2019re still breathing right here, right now. \u00a0So that means the story is still being told. <\/span><\/div>\n
\nBad Boys. Bad Girls. Unite!<\/span>
Care to comment?<\/a><\/span>\n<\/div>\n
Please, share with a friend if you feel moved.
\nRead all past issues at http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since I was barely out of the womb, I\u2019ve been in church. Sunday school, bible studies, small groups, sermons. I figure I\u2019ve got several years worth of hours of teaching soaked in there somewhere. I\u2019m still amazed that I\u2019m still not getting it. But as I\u2019ve looked at the familiar Bible characters lately, I\u2019m seeing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2375,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,177,705,803],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bad-boys-of-the-bible","category-creep-of-sin","category-redemption","category-sin"],"yoast_head":"\nFinding comfort in the company of the Bible's baddest dudes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Since I was barely out of the womb, I've been in church. Sunday school, bible studies, small groups, sermons. 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