4 Basic Steps For Growing Biblical Understanding
What Does Romans Say About… (Part 1)
A downloadable PDF presentation on theological topics in the Book of Romans. Part 1 briefly considers the doctrines of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit
Genesis Overview (Synthesis)
A downloadable PDF overview of the Book of Genesis.
“The most effective leadership, management, and efficiency models share traits common with each other, and traits that are ultimately traceable to the pages of the Bible. While these models are often not intentionally rooted in Biblical concepts by those that promote the models, the models illustrate how applying Biblical principles can set a trajectory of success in enterprise and in life. Led By a Lion is designed to introduce some of these leadership, management, and efficiency models, but goes a step further in identifying the Biblical genesis of many of the core traits that fuel the success of these models.”
John’s Gospel Through Three Lenses
A downloadable PDF highlighting some important themes in John's Gospel, from three vantage points (synthesis, exegesis, analysis).
Matthew 18:15-20 The Purpose and Nature of Correction in the Church
Introduction Because of its detail and sequence, Matthew 18:15-20 has long been recognized as a central passage in dealing with sin, conflict resolution, and discipline in the church. In these verses Jesus provides His disciples a pattern for dealing with a sinning...
Hebrews Overview (Brief)
A brief overview of the Book of Hebrews.
“This approach has the advantage of seeking to view all knowledge through the lens of Scripture, and to subject all knowledge to the authority of Scripture. It encourages science and research within the field of psychology. It offers a Biblical balance of description and prescription. Of course, if the Bible is unreliable, then the refractive power of Scripture is distortive rather than corrective, but the epistemological premise of this approach is that God’s word is authoritative and sufficient for our understanding, for our equipping, and for our practice. There are many extra-biblical resources that we can employ, but in seeking out how and when to do that, we mustn’t lose sight of the one reliable constant that God has provided for us – the Bible.” –Chapter 9
Freedom From What?
It’s a great day to think about freedom. In Paul’s Letter to the Galatians, the concept of freedom is emphasized (free and freedom are mentioned seven times). In 5:1, Paul explains, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not...
Do We Value God’s Communication?
God has communicated to us in three ways. First, in creation itself – in nature: David describes the function of the heavens, for example, as declaring His glory (Ps 19:1-6). Paul adds that, “since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power...
The Book of Revelation is Not Apocalyptic Literature
It may seem odd to suggest that the book entitled Apocalupsis does not belong to the genre of literature commonly referred to as apocalyptic, nonetheless that is my suggestion here. The term employed in the title of the book denotes a revelation or disclosure.[1]...
“The Green Tree is an exceptional work…provides a vital tool for every Bible interpreter…Just as the root system is the foundation of a tree and directly impacts the health of a tree, hermeneutic method is at the root of one’s worldview. This illustration demonstrates that the hermeneutic method that an interpreter of the Bible employs will significantly affect the outcome. The tree will either be healthy, or it will not be healthy…The authors provide a unique examination of Revelation, Genesis, and Job that demonstrates that the LGH hermeneutic is derived from within Scripture, something that other hermeneutical methods fail to demonstrate. This is perhaps the most crucial principle demonstrated in The Green Tree, and it effectively demonstrates that the LGH hermeneutic is also the Biblical hermeneutic.” – Andrew Friend (Amazon Review)
A Biblical Perspective on the Use of Music
What makes music good? Or bad? Is there indeed such a thing as good or bad music? Are there certain styles of music that are off limits for Christians? How about for use in the church? These questions underscore the odd reality that music – and especially music in the...
A Necessary Ingredient of Biblical Literacy
Knowing God’s word is a central responsibility and privilege for Christians. It is by His word that we get to know Him, and it is His word that equips us (2 Tim 3:16-17; Eph 4:12). His word protects us (Eph 6;11-17), guides us (Ps 119:11, 105), sustains us (Mt 4:4),...
Two Deficiencies of Reformed Epistemology: A Brief Commendation and Critique of Cornelius Van Til’s Epistemology
Here is why I argue that reformed epistemology isn't sufficient on its own, and that dispensational epistemology must be distinct from it: Cornelius Van Til is brilliant on what I would call the first three pillars of Biblical epistemology (#1: Biblical God exists,...
Galatians Overview
A downloadable synthetic overview of Paul's Letter to the Galatians.
Biblical Organizational Principles Applied: Safeguarding the Organization
Can you safeguard the organization and guarantee it doesn’t depart from core values? The Biblical example of the church at Ephesus says “no.” The church at Ephesus apparently got its start during Paul’s third missionary journey (Acts 18:21ff) and was influenced early...
Why I Am Not A Calvinist…Or an Arminian, Part 3
The Calvinism/Arminianism debate considers three essential issues: (1) The degree of God’s activity in human salvation, (2) the degree of human culpability, and (3) the degree of human activity in salvation. Historically Calvin placed strongest emphasis on God’s...
Rediscovering Ordinary: An Alternative to “Highlight” Christianity
Highlights. We are addicted to highlights. We subject ourselves to a continuous media stream telling us what is noteworthy and what isn’t. Is it re-tweetworthy? Is it worth a share or a status update? We have come to value style over substance and flash over...
Are Romans 2:28–29 and 1 John 2:27 New Covenant Passages?
The New Covenant promised to Israel and Judah in Jeremiah 31:31–34 includes two components that some argue are fulfilled by the church. In Jeremiah 31:33, “I will put My law within them and on their hear I will write it…” and in Jeremiah 31:34, “They will not teach...
New Book Announcement: An Introduction to the New Covenant
An Introduction to the New Covenant In Jeremiah 31, God declares He will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. How we understand that covenant has tremendous importance for every area of theology. An Introduction to the New...
A Cautionary Tale: The Social Media Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing
(or, Five [At Least] Things I Should Have Been Thinking But Wasn’t) The blessings of social media are very real. Even though I was late to the party, once involved, I realized quickly that there were whole new communities being formed. The opportunities for sharing...