Years ago, I remember having a conversation with my grandma. We were talking about scripture and our favorite passages. In the course of that conversation, she made the comment, “There is a lot of comfort to be found in the Psalms.” I was just a young chap when we had this conversation, and since then,…
Here is another installment of Practical Theology, an ongoing series of videos that addresses common questions and topics. Because it is Thanksgiving this week, we thought we would chat about what it means to give thanks. What are we really doing when we give thanks to God? What are we really doing when we fail…
I have long considered Jeremiah 20 to be one of the most transparent passages in all of Scripture. It is a chapter that contains the heart and soul of the prophet’s true self. Having been physically beaten by the priest Pashur and subsequently jailed, Jeremiah utters a prayer to God that is full of doubt…
Christians are familiar with terms like god, savior, and gospel. They are part of our liturgical lingo. We use them in every Sunday service to refer to the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. But what Christians may not know is that these terms were part of the stock vocabulary of pagans living in…
If you need a good book to read (not least in light of our curious times), I recommend C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold. It’s a risky little book on many fronts. Lewis offers a multi-layered invitation that, among other things, bids us to see the unseen, to embrace true love, and…
The Bible is a fascinating book. Passed down through the ages, it remains a reliable guide for the church’s faith and practice. The Bible, though, is more than a guide. It is holy Scripture—that font of truth and wellspring of life, a source of nourishment for all. If the Bible is “holy Scripture,” and if…
I was going through old blog posts, and I came across this one from a few years ago. In 2016, I was invited to be “chaplain of the week” for the Oklahoma State House of Representatives. It was a fun experience, and I pray folks were encouraged by what I had to say. Below is…
I am thankful to the folks at The LAB (Logos Academic Blog) for sharing my post “COVID-19 and The Mark of the Beast.” With the host of rumors and odd theories floating around the internet (not least on social media platforms), many sincere Christians are becoming increasingly concerned that “the mark of the beast” is…
UPDATED: 5/19/21: A few years ago, a friend (and seasoned saint) came up to me and said that, during a hard season of depression, some in the church told her that mature Christians don’t struggle with things like that. “Christians,” they said, “don’t go through depression at all.” Sigh. Such statements are as dangerous as…
I have been reading through the Gospels, carefully observing (the best I can) the way Jesus interacts with his friends, the crowds, and his enemies. If you study the ways of Jesus, you’ll notice that he never prioritizes grace over truth or truth over grace. Typically, his responses to the humble and lowly are tender…