In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul wrote about the growth that comes in the Christian life. He explained that some ministry is like sowing seed, some is like watering plants, but it is God who brings the growth (1 Corinthians 3:5–9). Thus, in one sense, all ministry is a kind of spiritual horticulture—we participate […]
We recently purchased a small fire-proof safe for our home in which to keep important papers. As I was learning to work the combination dial, the first time or two I couldn’t get it opened. I initially thought there was something wrong with the safe . . . until I re-read the directions. I simply […]
Everyone–whether regular church-attender or casually visitor or interested spectator–will be exposed to “Bible teaching.” Sometimes, we default to being merely passive listeners. But that is not the best approach. In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul underscored a different approach: Be diligent to apply yourself to the study of Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15). If […]
There’s a delightful Lerner and Loewe song from the movie Gigi(1958) that captures a common problem: misremembering. The song is “I Remember It Well”—an exchange between two friends reflecting on their first date. Honore (played by Maurice Chevalier) and Mamita (played by Hermione Gingold) play out a charming duet: Honore: Ah, yes, I remember it […]
No one seems to like it. We all want both to be understood and fairly represented. We don’t like it when someone misunderstands us, misrepresents what we say, or only selectively references our words to make their own point. But many Bible-readers appear to think that this is perfectly OK when it comes to the Scriptures. […]
