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In Bible Study, Blog, Genesis on
February 17, 2020

The God Who Sees

I recently re-watched the movie The Princess Diaries on Disney +. In the beginning of the movie, fifteen-year-old Mia Thermopolis is just like any other high school student, preparing arguments for debate club and playing baseball in gym class. She is mostly unseen by her peers, but that’s okay with her because she’s content hanging out with her close friends. 

Out of the blue, Mia’s grandmother visits her and tells Mia that she is the queen of the European country Genovia, which means that Mia is a princess. She trades her thick, frizzy hair and glasses for pretty hair and princess clothes. Mia is finally seen.

But being seen is not all it’s cracked up to be. Mia’s new “friends” just use her to get a few minutes of fame on TV, and she realizes that her real friends were the ones who had seen her and loved her the whole time, even before she became a princess.

Mia’s story somewhat reminds me of the story of another woman – Hagar.

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
February 10, 2020

He is Love

We love lots of things! We love our family. We love our friends. We can love our coworkers, teammates, and fellow Christians. We love dogs and cats. We love tacos and pizza. We can love reading, hiking, baking, painting, playing an instrument, or doing some other fun hobby. We love sunrises and sunsets. We can love mountains or forests or beaches. We love laughing and having fun. We have a lot of loves, but these loves can change as we go through life. If you develop a dairy intolerance, you definitely won’t love cheese pizza as much! If you get attacked by a dog, it’s hard to love and trust other dogs. If a friend turns their back on you or a partner cheats on you, it’s hard to still show love to them.

But there is one love that never changes no matter the circumstance. It endures forever! This never-changing love is the love of our God.

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In Blog, Book Reviews, Singleness on
January 27, 2020

7 Myths about Singleness

Marriage and the desire to be married are very common in our culture, but in recent years, singleness is on the rise. According to Psychology Today, about forty five percent of American adults were unmarried in 2017 – a record high. But a majority of these single folks are not satisfied with their relationship status. Psychology Today also reported that, according to a 2017 study, fifty eight percent of American adults who have never been married desire to be married one day. (1)

While the desire for marriage is not wrong, dissatisfaction with singleness is an issue both in the secular and the Christian world, and it is only exasperated by the expectations the culture puts on singles. Singleness is almost seen as a disease to be avoided. If you’ve been single for a long time, something must be wrong with you. And if you’re still single by your 40s, nearly all hope is lost. 

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In Bible Study, Blog, Philippians on
January 20, 2020

Citizens of God’s Kingdom

Have you ever noticed that when you spend a lot of time around someone or when you admire someone you gradually become more and more like them?

In middle school, I was desperate for the love and acceptance of my friends. I wanted to watch what they watched and read what they read. I wanted to dress like they dressed and talk like they talked. I wanted to do all the things they did and spend all my time with them. I wanted to be like them. The more time I spent with them, the more I became like them, and that wasn’t a good change.

Thankfully, the Lord intervened, and I realized near the end of my time in middle school that I was different from all my friends, and that was okay. If they wouldn’t accept me for who I was, they were not true friends.

Through all of this, I learned that seeking God’s acceptance and becoming more like Him is much more important and necessary than seeking a friend’s acceptance and becoming more like her.

And Paul teaches a similar truth to the Philippian church.

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In Attributes of God, Blog, Theology on
January 13, 2020

He is Glorious

When is the last time you used the word “glorious”? Maybe you said something like, “Wow! Tonight’s sunset is glorious.” Or maybe you said, “Mmm… That hamburger smells glorious!” Or maybe you don’t remember the last time you’ve used the word. Glorious is not a super common word we use on a day to day basis, but when we do use it, we are usually declaring that something is beautiful, admirable, or amazing. When the word “glory” is used in the Bible, it can also refer to the honor, praise, and/or worship of someone.

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