Topic > Christian Living
Want to get the most out of your daily Bible reading?
A single Bible verse can inspire us, but if taken out of context, we can really miss its purpose! Paul Caminiti, Vice President of Bible Engagement at Biblica, offers helpful suggestions for reading the Bible in view of its historical context.
Why people aren’t engaging in Scripture, and how to make your church different!
Monday, July 30, 2012
Changing Enemies Into Friends
During the US Civil War, hatred became entrenched between the North and South. In one instance, President Abraham Lincoln was criticized for speaking of benevolent treatment for the Southern rebels. The critic reminded Lincoln that there was a war going on, the Confederates were the enemy, and they should be destroyed. But Lincoln wisely responded, “I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends.”
Lincoln’s comment is insightful.
Sweet Slumber
Photographer Anne Geddes has made an art form out of taking pictures of sleeping babies. Her photos evoke smiles. Nothing is a better image of peace than a sleeping child.
Stop!
Life is a busy enterprise. It seems there are always more things to do, places to go, and people to meet. And while none of us would want a life without meaningful things to do, the fast pace threatens to rob us of the quietness that we need.
A New Day
In a morning meeting I recently attended, the person who opened the gathering began by praying, “Lord, thanks for today. It is the beginning of a new day we have never seen before.” Although the idea seemed obvious, that prayer got me thinking about a couple of different things. First, because each day is a new opportunity, it will be filled with things we cannot anticipate or even prepare for. Therefore, it’s important that we recognize our limitations and lean heavily on God—intentionally choosing to live in His grace and strength rather than relying on our own resources.
In Praise Of Sovereignty
In James Fenimore Cooper’s book The Last of the Mohicans, we become acquainted with a character named David Gamut. He is a devout Christian who delights in setting the Psalms to music and singing them no matter what circumstances life brings his way. Gamut believes that God can be trusted in crisis as well as in good times. He lives a life in praise of God’s sovereignty—His supreme power, authority, and control over the world.
How to get the most out of reading God’s Word
Friday, June 22, 2012, Part 1
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).
IDEA: One reason we misinterpret or misapply a passage is that we often don’t consider the literary genre in which it is written.
PURPOSE: To help listeners be aware that different kinds of biblical literature have to be interpreted in different ways.
Discover how to get a deeper understanding of God’s Word
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
“Let not those who wait for You, O Lord God of Hosts, be ashamed because of me; let not those who seek You be confounded because of me, O God of Israel. Because for your sake I have borne reproach; shame has covered my face. I have become a stranger to my brothers, and an alien to my mother’s children; because zeal for your house has eaten me up, and the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, that became my reproach. I also made sackcloth my garment; I became a byword to them. Those who sit in the gate speak against me, and I am the song of the drunkards” (Psalm 69:6-12).
IDEA: Misinterpreted or misapplied passages have different degrees of consequences.
PURPOSE: To help listeners realize the importance of interpreting and applying biblical passages accurately.
Hidden Away
By the time I was born, my great- grandfather, Abram Z. Hess, had already lost his sight. He was known for the beautiful wooden objects he had carved on a lathe—and also as someone who could quote many verses of Scripture. He and his friend Eli would often share Scripture verses back and forth. A bit of a competitive spirit resulted in their admission that Eli could cite more references while my grandfather could recite more verses.
Our Father In Heaven
When Jesus taught us to pray, He began, “Our Father in heaven” (Luke 11:2). It is one of many Scriptures that refers to God as a father. I find it both fascinating and instructive that when God wanted us to know what He is like, He chose to emphasize His fatherhood.
The Lamb Who Is The Lion
In Revelation 5, the apostle John portrays Jesus, the Lion of Judah (v.5), as a wounded Lamb (v.6). Referring to this word picture, preacher Charles Spurgeon asked, “Why should our exalted Lord appear in His wounds in glory?” His reply: “The wounds of Jesus are His glory.”
Understanding the biblical context surrounding a verse to avoid missing the point
Wednesday, May 13, 201
” ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,’ says the Lord, ‘thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11).
IDEA: We have a tendency to ask “What does this mean for me?” before we ask, “What did this mean for the original readers”?
PURPOSE: To help listeners apply the Scriptures accurately in their lives.
Are you looking to bring your grasp of the Bible to a new level?
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
“Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul. I cried to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me!” (Psalm 66:16-20).
IDEA: Sometimes the Bible applies great ideas in unusual ways.
PURPOSE: To help listeners see that putting a verse in its context can lead you to applying it in an unexpected way.
The Way To An “Easy” Life
A re parents trying too hard to make their kids happy? And is that having the opposite effect? These questions introduce an interview with Lori Gottlieb, author of an article on the subject of unhappy young adults. Her conclusion: Yes. Parents who refuse to let their children experience failure or sadness give them a false view of the world and do not prepare them for the harsh realities of adult life. They’re left feeling empty and anxious.
