Monthly Archives

July 2022

In Bible Study, Blog, Book Reviews on
July 31, 2022

Literarily

As you can probably tell from the dozens of book reviews I have written, I love to read, and reading has been one of my favorite hobbies ever since I was a child. I like to read all kinds of different books, from Christian living and theology to classic fiction and mystery, from nonfiction and memoir to dystopian and romantic suspense.

I read different types or genres of books for different reasons. If I want to grow in a particular area of my faith, I’ll pick up a Christian living book. If I want to read something engaging and entertaining, I’ll grab a fun novel. If I want to learn about something in culture or politics, I’ll choose some nonfiction. And if I’m looking for an easy, comfort read, I’ll turn to a book I’ve read many times before.

Every book genre is different from the others, and they each have a particular style and purpose. And it’s the same with the Bible. The Bible is one book, but it contains several different genres with completely different styles, tones, and features. As Kristie Anyabwile argues in her new book, Literarily, knowing the genre of each biblical book is the only way we can truly understand the messages of the Scriptures.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Luke on
July 16, 2022

Jesus Draws Near to the Anxious

We live in a fast-paced world. We’re always busy, busy, busy—jumping from one thing to the next, scrambling to get everything done in time. I know I can relate! My days are so full of working, and writing, and reading, and many other things that some days it feels like I barely have two seconds to stop and take a breath.

Because our lives are so anxious, and busy, and chaotic, we often neglect the tasks that we deem not as important, which sometimes, unfortunately, includes reading the Bible and praying. We all know that reading our Bibles and praying to God are important. But life happens. We have research papers due at 11:59, dirty diapers that need to be changed, reports that need to be turned in first thing. We have early mornings and late nights, and there’s so much going on that those dusty little Bibles on our nightstands just slip from our minds.

This forgetfulness can leave us feeling guilty or ashamed, but we need not lose hope. We can actually be encouraged because the truth is Jesus does not condemn us for forgetting these important daily disciplines. In fact, He does the complete opposite. He draws near to us.

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In Blog, Progressive Christianity, Theology on
July 10, 2022

Five Lies of the Progressive Gospel

Can Christianity progress? Apparently, a lot of people think so.

Over the past several years, there has been a movement of professing believers reexamining and deconstructing the Christian doctrines they have always believed in. They call themselves “progressive Christians,” though the term “Christian” is being used loosely here, as this group now holds beliefs that completely disagree with and go against nearly everything the Church has affirmed for the past 2,000 years.

There are different reasons for why someone has become a progressive Christian. Some of these folks have had bad experiences with the local church and hypocritical, abusive leaders. Some could never make sense of what the Bible teaches and were quickly dismissed whenever they tried asking questions. Others just feel like what they were taught in Sunday School growing up doesn’t match up with the loving, affirming God they believe in. These situations caused them to rethink their faith and ultimately reject the biblical gospel in favor of a progressive one.

What’s so wrong with the progressive gospel? A lot. Far more than can be covered in one little blog post. But there are five progressive Christian beliefs in particular that are absolutely untrue and antithetical to the good news of God’s Word. These five lies ought to be exposed and avoided at all costs by true, Bible-believing Christians.

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In Bible Study, Blog, Leviticus on
July 4, 2022

Do Christians Have the Freedom to Eat Pork?

Today is the Fourth of July, which means it’s America’s Independence Day. This annual holiday is such a fun one to celebrate. Everyone is dressed in bright red, crisp white, and dark navy blue. The night sky is lit up by fireworks, sparklers, and bonfires. Many spend the day at the beach or the lake. Others watch parades march down Main Street. And a large number of both children and adults engage in eating a classic American food—the glorious hot dog.

Hot dogs aren’t for everyone (I’ve seen some documentaries that have made me question the goodness of that little sausage), but they sure are popular. It’s estimated that Americans consume about 150 million hot dogs every Fourth of July![1] But as a Christian living in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave, you may be wondering if you ought to participate in this American ritual. After all, doesn’t the Bible condemn eating pork? And since hot dogs are made out of pork (unless you buy those kosher ones made out of beef), should Christians really be eating hot dogs on the Fourth of July?

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