One of the downsides of living in the west is our tendency to think individualistically instead of corporately. This can lead to downplaying or ignoring the significance of the corporate emphasis found in the Scriptures. God’s purpose has always been to have a people for His own possession (see Ex.…

I was thinking recently while stuck in road construction how much time is spent simply waiting for something to happen. There’s not a day that goes by without us spending some time waiting for something. It seems as if God has weaved waiting into nearly every aspect of our lives.…

The Bible describes many ancient religious practices largely foreign to our own cultural practices. Notions of consecration, dedication, vows, holiness, and ritual cleanness are somewhat common in contemporary Christianity. But how well do we know the origin of this terminology and these practices? Take, for instance, the Nazirite vow. The…

I was recently studying Paul’s letter to the Galatians and encountered his words in Galatians 5:4. He says, “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” What does it mean to fall away from grace? The verse…

One of the scariest moments of my life happened in northern Wisconsin. Some friends and I took a pontoon boat across Tomahawk Lake and were caught in a vicious thunderstorm. The skies darkened, the wind picked up, the waves started rocking the boat, and the rain came down in sheets.…

The Bible is unique in that it comes complete with its own songbook—the Psalms. Not only are the Psalms songs that we can sing to God, but they also instruct us on what our worship should consist of and why we should do it in the first place. What we…