This week in my sermon preparation I am studying the tail end of John 13 in the lead up to Easter at the end of March. What I find interesting here is that within a dozen verses, Jesus addresses Judas’ betrayal as well as Peter’s denial. Jesus tells Judas, “What you are about to do, do quickly”(v.27). And to Peter He says, “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” (v.38).  How tragic! Jesus is facing His own impending death and yet His companions – His students – His friends – are proving to be less than supportive.…

The psychological phenomenon of “confirmation bias” is defined as “the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories” (Oxford). It is something we all experience on a daily basis. It doesn’t have to do with intelligence or morality. It is just a fact of human psychology.  Confirmation bias is the reason we are all convinced that we always get in the slowest line at the grocery store check-out. We forget all the times we paid for our eggs and left relatively quickly and recall only the long waits that confirm our suspicion that we are…

My dad owned and managed a hardware store. Outside of stocking shelves and ordering merchandise, a good chunk of his time each day was spent chit-chatting with customers. Dad was generally well-liked and greatly respected, so these conversations often strayed beyond water heaters and sanding paper.  One day Dad came home from work shaking his head over a particularly puzzling interchange. This would have been the early 1980s, I suppose. A customer had expressed apprehension over rumors of a new Toyota factory coming to Shelbyville. “I don’t like the idea one bit,” the man groaned. “I don’t think it’s good…

Of all the ugliness which the fall of mankind unleashed on the human spirit, it could be argued the drive to elevate one’s self by pushing down others is unsurpassed in shamefulness. Is it brought on by our awareness of continually falling short ourselves of the glory which could have – and should have – been ours? Is it an attempt to distract the world from our own shortcomings by redirecting attention toward those who are “beneath” us? Whatever brings it on, sinful man relishes having someone to look down on! And it’s all relative. I remember high school basketball…

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.” – Ernest Hemingway And there is definitely nothing noble in believing yourself superior to anybody – but we sure do it a lot, don’t we? We see this pride in other people, but it’s hard to imagine in ourselves. (Which is ironically fitting.) When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He threw them for a psychological loop. Foot washing was necessary, but base and ugly – and fit only for a servant. Yet this dirty job was beneath even the average…

Tonight I am simply reposting an important development at Mission Resource. This has me excited! Here it is: This is BIG NEWS… We are excited to announce a NEW WORK for Mission Resource in Ghana which we are calling “The Empowerment Fund”. Some time ago we came across a thriving savings and loan ministry in Ghana which had been started by a good friend of ours. In recent years, although the ministry had continued to be successful, its sponsoring agency decided to pull away. Without the Lord’s intervention, the ministry was set to dry up – And hundreds of men and…

There are great rewards for studying Scripture. In Psalm 19:7, King David records two biggies: “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.” Reviving the Soul – God’s word is like cold, clear water handed to a man lost in the desert. It’s a second lease on life for the soul. Making Wise the Simple – As we continue in God’s word, even the dullest among us gains more and more wisdom. And wisdom is something that compounds.  Unfortunately, neither reward is immediate. But if we truly…

Here are some of the most common passages cited in support of the “perspicuity” of Scripture – the fact that you don’t need an advanced degree to “get” the Bible:  Deuteronomy 6:6-7 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. – These commands are directed at the average Israelite, not just the priests. And apparently, the word of…

Across the American church, pastors and lay people alike seem to assume that Scripture is just too complicated for someone without a seminary degree. Or at the very least, a devotional or curriculum written by someone with the degree.  Sure, you can read it – but you’re just going to be lost and confused. Still, even though we don’t really seem to believe it in practice, there is a term to describe the Bible’s availability to all, degree or not: “Perspicuity”.  The “Doctrine of the Perspicuity of the Scriptures” is the belief that, although there are some things in the…

A church member posed a question to me by text this evening that she thought would be an interesting topic for a Bible study: How do I distinguish God’s voice from my own?  It’s a very good question and one I have been wondering myself lately.  For example, I am reading a book by a man who founded a ministry for women who have escaped from sex trafficking.  Long before the Lord spoke to him about this new ministry, the author was learning to discern God’s voice while serving as the pastor of a local church.  He tells of having…