Have we become so spoiled? Comedian Louis CK is interviewed by Conan O’Brien, and he does give an interesting spin on the consumer culture we live in, and the consumer monsters we’re becoming. He suggests that maybe we need to go through some tough times to really appreciate how far we’ve come. And its kind…
what God is up to
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 24 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The Bible is not primarily a collection of stories with morals (be like this, don’t be like that) – though there are stories with morals. The Bible is not primarily a collection of principles and commandments, though there are principles and commandments. The Bible is primarily a story, or The Story, of…
living with integrity
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 23 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: The line that stands out in this passage is “you are an honoured prince among us (v.6). This speaks of Abraham’s integrity and good reputation. And the way he handles this land transaction demonstrates this as well. He insists on paying fair value for the land he purchases. As I read this,…
dynamic community of Jesus-followers
I recently read a book called “It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It” by Craig Groeschel. Craig attempts to describe that “something” that dynamic churches have, and discovers that while we cannot define it or package it in a program, there are important qualities found among those who have it. While…
the Lord has provided
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 22 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: I can’t explain how God could do this, from my point of view it is pretty harsh. Sacrifice the miracle child? The test in this was whether Abraham could believe that God would deliver on His promise to build his family through Isaac. And Abraham seems to know this. He tells his…
persecution in India
URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS FOR YWAM IN INDIA… please READ and PRAY! This is a request for prayer for YWAM missionaries and their churches in Orissa, India. The request came from Mable Hurst, an associate of HCJB Global. Please read and make this a matter of urgent prayer. Dear beloved sponsors and friends of Good News…
miracle child
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 21 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Isaac is a miracle baby, born after Sarah was past child-bearing age. Isaac was the result of God’s gracious intervention. Ishmael was the result of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar’s creative scheming. He was the result of human attempts to accomplish God’s promise. Isaac represents being helped (saved) by God’s grace; Ishmael represents…
the grand mosaic
Reading the Bible is like looking at the above picture.It is actually a collection of individual panels, each one a picture of a person, place or thing. Some panels are light, some are dark, each one contributes to the picture as a whole. The problem is, what is it a picture of? Up close, it does…
the biblical story
Here is a timeline of the story of the Bible. It is a very basic, simplified outline, that divides the story into 5 chapters, with the middle chapter (about Jesus) being the very center. This diagram also makes it clear that the mission of God is to restore His creation.
God uses us despite…
SCRIPTURE: Genesis 20 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Though Abraham is God’s chosen servant, blessed to be a blessing, he is a flawed servant. He still needs to learn to trust God for protection. It seems that Abraham was lying about his wife often, and not even his bad experience in Egypt changed this (Genesis 12:10-20). What is striking here is how…