Tag Archive - Bible

Too much…

July 19, 2009 in Church with 1 Comment

6 Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” And so the people were restrained from bringing more, 7 because what they already had was more than enough to do all the work. – Exodus 36:6-7

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2036:6-7;&version=31;

Could you imagine having such commitment in your church that you have to tell people that you had enough so they don’t need to bring their offering anymore? It’s amazing that Moses had to tell the people of Israel to hold off from bringing more. They had already given more than enough to do all the work.

Life is a Vapor

April 5, 2009 in features, Personal Growth with 0 Comments

I’ve been stunned lately by the deaths of some family and friends. My grandmother died late last year. My Uncle died last week. One of my best friends from high school was found dead this morning.

Thinking about death makes me think about what I do on a daily basis. It makes me think about the way I treat people and respond to situations. It makes me think about the plans I make and how I spend my time. It makes me want to dedicate myself to live better.

When I think about life and death, I am drawn to James 4:14.

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

We have a short time here on earth. We have little time to influence people. I want my short vapor of a life to count for something. I want, when the mist is gone, for Christ to have been magnified by my life.

Nothing else matters. I will miss the people who we have lost in the last few days. They influenced me. They are in my memories. Their lives counted. I want my life to count for something.

What would happen if we lived life in light of James 4:14? What would happen if we realized how short life really is? I’m sure my daily decisions would be different. I’m sure I would live to make a greater impact both in my family and in the lives of those around me.

Small but Powerful

March 1, 2009 in Church, Personal Growth with 0 Comments

Chile piquinThe chile piquin is a small but powerful type of chile pepper. I tried one the other day because my students had told me that they would make an excellent illustration for my sermon on the tongue. They were right. I had to spit it out because I didn’t want it to burn my esophagus.

Today I preached on James 3 at Bethel Church in Xochimilco. My introduction was the chile piquin. We talked about three observations about the tongue: It has power (for good or evil); it is difficult to tame; and controlling it is essential to living out our faith.

It’s a lot easier to preach about taming the tongue than it is to live it. I think part of it has to do with the fact that there are so many ways to slip up with the tongue. It takes only a little moment in time to lose your temper and say something that you will regret for a long time.

I had a good time with a new group of Christians today, and I pray that the sermon will take root in their lives and the life of their church.

Who Do You Hate?

January 19, 2009 in Church, Personal Growth with 0 Comments


I thought this video was thought provoking, especially his question asking how much do you have to hate a person to not tell them what you believe.

What do you think?

The Bible Illuminated

October 7, 2008 in Church, features, resources with 4 Comments

There’s a new product coming to North America in the Fall of 2008 called Bible Illuminated. It is an oversized (8 ¼ x 11 ½), full-color, 264-page glossy magazine that has striking, provocative, contemporary photographs. It uses the Good News Translation (GNT) and it is aimed to be less intimidating than traditional Bibles.

You can see what it’s all about online at Illuminated World.

One of the cool things is that it is the actual text of the Bible put into a format that is easy to read and feels more like something you would pick up and look at today, either on the subway, the doctor’s office, or anywhere else.

Here’s a video of the creator of the project talking about the motive behind it and what he hopes happens as a result.

(via: Boing boing)

A Quick Question

April 2, 2008 in Personal Growth with 4 Comments

I think most of the people who read this through a feed reader or online should be able to respond to this, but I’m looking for suggestions for good commentaries on the gospel of John. Got any suggestions? Leave a comment. Thanks.

I wonder if anyone will leave a comment. Please leave your favorite commentary series or your favorite commentary on John.

(Question mark thumbnail by Leo Reynolds on Flickr)

The Craziness of the Resurrection

March 23, 2008 in Church, features, Personal Growth with 0 Comments

The account of the resurrection in Matthew 28 sounds crazy to me. The author seems to be talking out of his mind.

“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.”

You know how things get skewed when you are excited? I imagine that the account is somewhat like that. I can imagine that the author was flustered, trying to put into words what he had seen, saying, “There was an earthquake, and then, there was an angel. He looked like lightning. He was glowing. His clothes were as white as snow. All the guards were like dead men.”

Unfortunately, we usually tell it with a monotonous tone of voice, as if we’re not excited to hear it. One day, I want to see someone burst into a church service with the kind of excitement that I read in that passage. “You’re not going to believe me, but here’s what I saw.”

That’s the craziness of the resurrection. It’s wild. It’s unheard of. It’s something that will change your life radically. It changed the lives of the disciples who were scared out of their minds in Matthew 27, and now in Matthew 28 (and Acts), they went on to change the world. That’s what the resurrection can do to you.

(image by: dbarronoss)

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