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Practical advice on how to accurately interpret the Scriptures
Friday, June 8, 2012
“You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law: you have fallen from grace” (1 Corinthians 15:29).
“What will they do who are baptized for the dead if the dead do not rise at all? Why then are they baptized for the dead?” (Galatians 5:4).
IDEA: Misinterpreted or misapplied passages of Scripture have different degrees of consequences.
PURPOSE: To help listeners appreciate the dangers of reading a meaning into a passage rather than getting the meaning out of a passage.
Let’s look at what they call “hot passages” in the Bible
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
“Moreover, if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear you, take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or more witnesses every word may be established. And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:15-20).
IDEA: We misread the Bible when we look for the “hot” passages and ignore what we think are the cold sections.
PURPOSE: To help listeners avoid taking isolated verses from the Scripture which can lead us to false applications of those Scriptures to our lives.
Practical tools to bring clarity to often misunderstood Bible passages
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19-20).
IDEA: We must submit ourselves to the Scriptures even when the Scriptures are not saying what we think they should say.
PURPOSE: To help listeners be willing to see old texts in a new way in order to live according to the Scriptures.
The benefit to using different translations when studying the Bible
Monday, May 28, 2012
Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19-20).
IDEA: We must submit ourselves to the Scriptures even when the Scriptures are not saying what we think they should say.
PURPOSE: To help listeners be willing to see old texts in a new way in order to live according to the Scriptures.
Practical advice for reading through the Bible, and understanding it along the way!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012, Part 2
IDEA: Because we have a reverence for the Bible, we may be led to misinterpret it.
PURPOSE: To help listeners understand that while the Bible is a unique text, it can be looked at as we would any other piece of literature.
Are you struggling to get a solid grasp on the Bible?
Tuesday, May 15, 2012, Part 1
IDEA: Because we have a reverence for the Bible, we may be led to misinterpret it.
PURPOSE: To help listeners understand that while the Bible is a unique text, it can be looked at as we would any other piece of literature.
Looking at some commonly misunderstood Bible passages
Monday, May 14, 2012
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
IDEA: A passage taken out of its context is a pretext.
PURPOSE: To help listeners realize the consequences of misusing texts in the Scripture.
Discover why studying the Bible in community is so important
Friday, May 11, 2012
How deliberate exaggeration is used in the Bible
Tuesday, April 10, 2012, Part 2
“Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be secret; and your Father who sees in secret will himself reward you openly” (Matthew 6:2-4).
IDEA: The God of the Bible and the people of God demonstrated a commendable concern for the needy.
PURPOSE: To help listeners understand that Jesus assumes a concern for the poor.
A thought-provoking discussion on the most important decision of our lives
Thursday, February 2, 2012, Part 4
“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (Hebrews 11:23-26).
Idea: God’s people may not look like God’s people to others, but Christians must see them as God called them to be.
Purpose: To help listeners see God’s people as God sees them.
Hidden Treasure
A British treasure hunter discovered a huge stash of Roman coins buried in a field in southwest England. Using a metal detector, Dave Crisp located a large pot holding 52,000 coins. These ancient silver and bronze coins, which date from the third century AD and weigh more than 350 pounds, are valued at $5 million.
What Shall I Give You?
I’ve been told that “three-wish stories” occur in almost every culture, all following a similar theme: A benefactor appears and offers to grant three wishes to an unsuspecting beneficiary. The fact that the stories so often occur suggests we all want something we cannot get on our own.
Lambs May Wade
Author C. S. Lewis says that reli- gious concepts are like soups—some are thick and some are clear. There are indeed “thick” concepts in the Bible: mysteries, subtleties, and complexities that challenge the most accomplished mind. For example, “[God] has mercy on whom He wills, and whom He wills He hardens” (Rom. 9:18).
Open Wide!
Early in the spring, my wife and I watched a fascinating bird show outside our kitchen window. A couple of blackbirds with straw in their beaks entered a small vent in the house next door. A couple of weeks later, to our delight, we saw four baby birds stick their heads out of the vent. Mom and Dad took turns feeding their hungry babies.
