We’ve all heard the expression, “Doubting Thomas.” This expression is based is based on the Apostle Thomas’ experience with Jesus in John 20:24-29: Thomas, the one called Didymus, one of the Twelve, wasn’t with the disciples when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We’ve seen the Lord!” But he replied, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands, put my finger in the wounds left by the nails, and put my hand into his side, I won’t believe.”... Read more
By now, most of us have heard of the current Israeli/Palestinian conflict launched on October 7, 2023. In this recent attack, a group of Palestinian militant organizations launched a series of strategic and planned attacks on Israel, led by Hamas. This conflict is now known as the 2023 Israel-Hamas war. As of the writing of this article, approximately 1,400 Israelis and 2,750 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing conflict. These attacks first took place during the Jewish holiday Simchat... Read more
If you spend any time online, you’ve probably encountered someone who believes in a doctrine radically different from what you have been taught about the Bible. They may believe you shouldn’t eat pork, shellfish (or sometimes any meat at all). Some believe you must only use Hebrew names and terms for God. Many are quick to recite different aspects of Old Testament law that you’ve never noticed or considered. The loudest say if you don’t follow the law in full,... Read more
If you’ve spent any time in church (or connected to church), you’ve probably heard mention of two groups: the Pharisees and Sadducees. There are three distinct things we know about them from casual observation: They opposed the ministry of Jesus Both were representative of Jewish sects in the first century They seem to appear out of nowhere in the Bible These three points are enough to make us wonder more about who these people were. Where did they come from?... Read more
At this point in history, Christians and church are front and center. The world is noticing lack of church attendance, stories of cults and deconstruction, and a general sense of “where do we go from here?” That’s both a fair and honest question, one the church needs to answer from a practical perspective. Both congregations and the world as a whole are changing. As in past generations, the church must confront itself; where it is going as well as where... Read more
If you haven’t yet read the first part of this series, 20 Things Your Leader Looks for if You Seek Promotion, now is a great time to catch up! This post is the second and final installment in that series, written for those who seek elevation or ordination in church. Sometimes we think we’re ready to move up and we are met with unspecific reasons why a leader doesn’t agree. What do we do in these instances? More importantly, how... Read more
Psst….you…hey, yeah you! If you seek to be ordained or elevated in church position, I have a message for you! There are many times we think we are ready to do something or to step out into something and our leader, for some reason, doesn’t agree with us. Why does this happen? Sometimes leaders do reference specific things, but a lot of times, leaders don’t give much explanation. The general summation is often, it isn’t the “right time.” This might... Read more
I had only been a Christian for a few months when our church experienced something amazing. A woman came to the church elders, asked for prayer, and stood on her extremely strong faith. The pastor and elders directly laid hands on her while the entire church extended their hands in agreement. Together, we prayed and agreed for her healing from cancer. This was her second or third experience with a serious ailment…and she was thoroughly convinced she’d be healed. The... Read more
When I decided to do this column, I didn’t think I’d use a public media frenzy for a Bible lesson. Hoping to be more instructional – words for leaders, aspiring leaders, those who want to learn about leadership, and help members understand leadership better – it wasn’t my posture to jump on media bandwagon and write about another church disaster witnessed this year. Yet I felt for this one, maybe more than all the others. I felt for it as... Read more
Trying to understand the Bible can seem intimidating. This is true even for those who spend their lives teaching Scripture. We all come across passages that don’t make sense to us, and in the process, require us to do some in-depth research. Sometimes, even that can leave us uncertain. Research often leads to more questions, and somewhere in here, we step back, pray, and ask God to show us what we might be missing. All the New Testament women named... Read more
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