Interpreting the Bible
Interpreting the Bible … “If the Bible is indeed God’s Word written, we should spare no pains and grudge no effort to discover what he has said (and says) in Scripture” John R.W. Stott. So, how do we interpret the Bible accurately so that it’s not just our opinion? What are the basic hermeneutical guidelines? […]
Connecting Millennials With The Bible
Connecting Millennials with the Bible … How can we help Millennials engage with the Bible? It begins with understanding who they are. Millennials, also known as Generation Y or the Net Generation, are the cohort who reached adulthood around the turn of the 21st Century. While there are various proposed dates for Millennials, the earliest […]
Spoken Word
Spoken Word, specifically Christian Spoken Word, is an oral form of Bible engagement utilizing free form or slam poetry. It is popular with millennials and integrates wordplay, beat, reiteration, voice inflection, hip-hop, modulation, music, prose monologues, or even comedy to present/perform the Word. While Spoken Word is a form of poetry, four elements differentiate it […]
Synthetic Study of the Bible
Synthetic study of the Bible … Have you ever read a book of the Bible in one sitting, repeatedly and continuously, until you have a thorough grasp of the outline, main themes, and important details? One of the requirements for my seminary students in the Bible Engagement – Encountering the Bible in a Life-Changing Way […]
Bored With The Bible? How to Reignite Your Passion for God’s Word
Bored with the Bible. Why are some Christians bored with the Bible? While doing Bible engagement polling, I asked a woman in her fifties if she read the Bible. She said, “Yes, from cover to cover many years ago.” “Do you still read it?” I asked. “No”, she said, “I much prefer a good novel […]
Shaped By The Word
In Shaped by the Word, Robert Mulholland presents a new way to read Scripture that helps us better listen for the voice of God, move from informational to formational reading, and give up our control over the text so that God directs our reading and reflection. Shaped by the Word is one of my top […]
Discovering Lectio Divina: Bringing Scripture into Ordinary Life
Are you looking for a more devotional approach to Scripture – one that focuses on contemplation and spiritual formation? Here’s a shout-out for Discovering Lectio Divina: Bringing Scripture into Ordinary Life by James C. Wilhoit and Evan B. Howard … Discovering Lectio Divina is a great read if you’re looking for a fresh engagement with the Word, […]
Reading the Bible in Context
Reading the Bible in context … How context shapes our understanding of Scripture. When I was learning to read, I was taught to open the first page of a book and read from the beginning to the end. I didn’t start in the middle, skip to the end, or just read the juicy bits. That […]
Praying the Bible
Praying the Bible … Prayer, in most cases, has fallen on hard times. The auditorium is full when a local church advertises a concert with a well-known singer. Only a few show up when that same church advertises a prayer meeting! Why do we struggle to pray? Maybe because when we do pray, we pray […]
Scripture and the Authority of God
In Scripture and the Authority of God, N. T. Wright argues for the authority of Scripture, which “is really a shorthand for ‘the authority of God exercised through scripture’; and God’s authority is not merely his right to control and order the church, but his sovereign power, exercised in and through Jesus and the Spirit, […]