I love a good mystery in any shape or form. Whether a classic novel, film, show, or game, mysteries are great at honing the skills of observation and deduction. My wife and I even recently participated in a murder mystery dinner party. While we didn’t successfully solve the crime, it…

Most of us are bombarded with hundreds if not thousands of messages every day. These messages come in many forms, from notifications to advertisements to texts and emails. No matter how much we may want to be “ad free,” it’s becoming nearly impossible not to be inundated with these messages.…

We all know that one attribute Yahweh uses to reveal himself is “steadfast love” (hesed, cf. Ex. 34:6–7). The term is difficult to convey in English, so translations differ on how to express it. Should it be “lovingkindness” (ASV), “steadfast love” (ESV), “mercy” (KJV), “faithfulness” (NASB), or simply “love” (NIV)?…

After the stoning of Stephen at the end of the Acts 7, the church in Jerusalem faced fierce persecution and fled throughout the surrounding regions. While the opponents of the church were seeking to destroy it, their intense persecution actually helped spread the word. Those who fled Jerusalem did not…

Each morning presents itself with countless opportunities to worry. It could be a recent news headline or a comment on your social media post. Or it could be something far more serious—a cancer diagnosis, job layoff, or eviction notice. So, we all know the truthfulness of Jesus’ words in Matthew…

Jesus’ discussion with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in John 4 is an extraordinary conversation. It comes on the heels of his private discussion with Nicodemus in John 3:1–15 about the need for new birth. John applies his statement that “God so loved the world” (3:16) immediately as Jesus breaks the…

Have you ever considered the connection between corporate prayer and the mission of God? While many of our churches include corporate prayer in our gatherings, we can miss the overarching purpose of it and how it relates to the overarching purpose of God. How does corporate prayer relate to God’s…

The account in Mark’s gospel of the binding of the strong man and the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a fascinating exchange between Jesus, the religious leaders, the crowds, and his mother and brothers. In his characteristic style, Mark introduces one component of the story (3:20–21) before interrupting it…

If you’ve ever tried to learn another language then you know, and maybe dread, the tall stack of vocabulary cards. Even if you only know one language, there were times you learned new words and their meanings: how to spell them, how to pronounce them, how to define them, how…