Bible Study Archives - Tristany Corgan

In Bible Study, Blog, Ruth on

December 16, 2024

Refuge and Redeemer

Everybody loves a good underdog story. There’s nothing like watching the unlikeliest of individuals persevere through their difficulties, defy all odds, and come out the other side as victors or heroes. We find these types of tales all throughout Scripture. Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers and falsely accused of trying to take advantage of his master’s wife before he became second in command to the Egyptian Pharaoh. David was just a young shepherd boy with no battle training, and yet he managed to slay a giant who defied the true and living God. Paul was a murderer of Christians before he received a vision of Christ and converted, and despite the many difficulties he encountered after his conversion, he is known today are one of the earliest and greatest Christian evangelists. Though these three men (and many more throughout the Bible) overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles, they did not do so on their own. They each were empowered by the Lord who filled them with strength and provided for their needs. It was the Lord who redeemed them.

There’s another underdog story in the Bible that has been especially popular amongst Christian woman. It’s a story of a young Moabite widow who, though she endured much suffering and heartache, ended up playing a much bigger role in God’s redemptive plan than she ever could have imagined.

Tristany

Can I Love Others Before I Love Myself?

What is the greatest commandment? If you’ve spent time studying God’s Word, you probably know the answer: to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind (and all your strength, depending on which Gospel you’re reading). Jesus declared this to be the greatest commandment in the Law when He was speaking to a group of Pharisees who were trying to test Him. Of course, being the omniscient Son of God, Jesus is not one to be outwitted or outsmarted. He replied without hesitation, giving them an answer that not only refers to a specific Old Testament command (Deuteronomy 6:5) but also encompasses the purpose of the entire Law God laid out for His people.

At the same time, Jesus also shares the second greatest commandment, another one you’re likely familiar with: love your neighbor as yourself. What it looks like to love your neighbor has been a highly discussed topic, both in ancient times and recent years. Many professing believers have misused this passage or taken it out of context. Some have used this verse to argue that one cannot love their neighbors until they love themselves, but is this true? Is this really what Jesus meant when He said these words?

Tristany

In Bible Study, Blog, Exodus on

August 12, 2024

No Other Gods

If you spent any significant amount of time in Sunday School growing up or you’ve watched the classic DreamWorks animated film, The Prince of Egypt, you are probably familiar with the biblical story of the Ten Plagues. But if it’s been a while since you’ve brushed up on your early biblical history, let me refresh you:

After Joseph, son of Jacob (Israel), rose to power following his enslavement and false imprisonment and became the second-in-command in Egypt, his entire family moved to Egypt to escape the famine ravaging the land (Genesis 45:16-28). The family settled into their appointed portion of Egyptian land, and they stayed there for many generations. Over the centuries, the number of Israelites residing in Egyptian territory grew and grew, and the Pharaoh who came to power felt threatened by them and their strength as a people (Genesis 1:8-10). So, he oppressed Israel and enslaved them, even going so far as to command their infant sons to be cast into the Nile River (Exodus 1:13-14, 22).

Israel cried out for help, and God heard them, remembering the covenant He had made with their ancestor, Abraham (Exodus 2:23-24). And He sent a man named Moses to speak to Pharoah and plead for Israel’s release from their slavery (Exodus 3:1-10). Pharoah, of course, refused, and thus began the Ten Plagues (Exodus 5:1-2). God unleashed ten horrifying plagues upon the land of Egypt—from the Nile River turning to blood and the nation being infested with frogs and flies to the people being covered in boils and the land being submerged into complete darkness. After every plague, Moses would demand Pharoah free the Israelites, and he continued to refuse until the very last plague—the death of every firstborn. Then, Pharoah finally relented and let Israel escape into the wilderness.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard this story and thought the Ten Plagues were just ten random punishments doled out onto Egypt for their abuse of the Israelites. But if we take a closer look at the cultural context, we’ll discover that these ten plagues were not random at all and that God had a bigger purpose in mind than just disciplining the Egyptians.

Tristany

In Bible Study, Blog, John on

May 13, 2024

A Tale of Two Sinners

Over the past few years, the deconstruction movement has been on the rise, and it’s driving people out of churches in droves. Deconstruction is essentially the practice of deconstructing or picking apart one’s beliefs until there’s nothing left to have faith in. Instead of sifting through their doctrines to determine what is biblical and what is not, deconstructionists tend to throw the baby out with the bathwater when they realize their church is teaching poor theology or simply teaching something they don’t personally agree with. They abandon the true faith and pursue an unbiblical form of Christianity (most often known as Progressive Christianity), follow another religious or spiritual practice, or choose to claim no religion at all. The number of churchgoers who are leaving the church because they cannot identify or affirm biblical Christianity is truly heartbreaking, and it’s a serious issue that churches all across the country ought to be addressing.

One thing that has baffled me about the deconstruction movement is how two people can grow up in the same family or grow up in the same church and end up with wildly different beliefs about Christianity. There is a very popular, well-known theologian in America who has pastored and authored books for decades. He has a son who has followed in his footsteps, becoming both a pastor and an author. But he has another son who has completely turned his back on Christianity and has even gained fame on TikTok for sharing his deconstructionist views.

When I reflect on this situation, I often think, “How could two boys who grew up in the same Christian home, who attended the same church grow into men who have two starkly different views on God and the Bible?” But there is a narrative in the Gospels that may shine some light on this and reveal that this contradiction of beliefs is not a new phenomenon amongst those who have sat under Christian teachings.

Tristany

In Bible Study, Blog, Hosea on

February 12, 2024

Steadfast Love Over Sacrifice

We wake up early and go the church on Sunday mornings. We read our Bibles daily, checking off each box on our Read the Bible in a Year plan. We promise to pray for our friends in their times of great need. We donate ten percent of our paychecks as a tithe. And if our churches offer them, we attend Wednesday night services, volunteer on the weekends, and send our kids and youth to every event that’s made available for them.

None of these things—church attendance, daily Bible reading, donating or volunteering—are bad things. In fact, they are excellent ways for Christians to spend their time and resources. But they can become problematic when we start seeing these things as items to check off our spiritual to-do list, as things that all “good Christians” ought to do. When this happens, we begin just going through the motions, living the “good Christian” life without ever actually growing closer to God or maturing in our faith. We may even view ourselves as “superior” believers because we’re doing all the “right things,” when in reality those who are doing less may find themselves closer to God’s heart than we are.

The truth is that living the good Christian life is less about our actions and outward appearances and more about our hearts.

Tristany