Other gods exist. Read Genesis 3; Exodus 15; Deuteronomy 32; Judges 11:24; Psalm 82, 95, 97; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, 10:18-22. Here's the bottom line: the gods (elohim) of the nations are actual spiritual beings that are opposed to the one true God—Yahweh Elohim. These false gods are not non-existent or make-believe. They are very real … Continue reading 3 Things Seminary Taught Me: Spiritual Warfare
Bible blogs
3* Things Seminary Taught Me: Spiritual Life
Knowledge does not equate spiritual maturity. This may be obvious and I think most people reading this would agree with this statement, but there is nuance needed here. Knowledge can be used by God to bring about spiritual maturity and I would argue that this is an important part of discipleship (see Eph. 1 and … Continue reading 3* Things Seminary Taught Me: Spiritual Life
3 Things Seminary Taught Me: Salvation
1. Salvation is earthy. This one is paradigm shifting. God's salvific plan doesn't do away with physicality, with materialness, with "earthiness" so that we can be in a better spiritual existence usually called "Heaven." This is actually the teaching of Gnosticism (an ancient heresy) not Christianity. God's plan has always been to redeem, to recreate, … Continue reading 3 Things Seminary Taught Me: Salvation
3 Things Seminary Taught Me: Reading the Bible
This new series of blog posts are short reflections based on what the past four years of seminary has taught me. Indubitably (Kawhi voice), these categories are selective and not exhaustive. Some of these things were brand new discoveries and others were solidified or relearned. The first question: What has seminary taught me about reading … Continue reading 3 Things Seminary Taught Me: Reading the Bible
Psalms: Anxiety and Fear
Anxiety and fear can be crippling. Sometimes it slowly builds up and explodes. Other times it seems to come out of nowhere. Swirling questions and emotions. A tailspin of negative and mostly untruthful thoughts about yourself. Hopelessness. Darkness. Anxiety and fear are pervasive forces in the world, but they aren't new. Humanity has been plagued … Continue reading Psalms: Anxiety and Fear
Psalms: Nature and Worship
We live in a world that in some respects is becoming more and more detached from nature—from God's created world. Certainly, humanity is called by God to make new stuff from what God has already created (Gen. 1:28) and we've made some amazing things. However, while we have harnessed the earth for our benefit, we … Continue reading Psalms: Nature and Worship
Psalms: It’s OK not to be OK
This past year I studied the Psalms A LOT. I got to study the Psalms in a seminary class (Hebrew 4), I went through the whole Psalter devotionally with two friends of mine at church (went through Tim & Kathy Keller's outstanding book The Songs of Jesus), and we're currently teaching through the Psalms in … Continue reading Psalms: It’s OK not to be OK
The What and Why of “Mission”
As followers of Jesus, we know that we are supposed to be on mission in some sense. Most of us are familiar with the "Great Commission" when Jesus commissions His disciples in Matthew 28. However, this is far from the only verse that tells us we should be on mission in the world. But what … Continue reading The What and Why of “Mission”
Exodus: Freedom From, To, and For
This blog post is going to be looking at the book of Exodus as a whole. This post will be discussing one of the main movements within the book itself. Let's dig in! Most of us know that the book of Exodus is about freedom in some sense. If I were to ask you to … Continue reading Exodus: Freedom From, To, and For
Exodus: Moses and Israel, Jesus and the Church
In previous blogs, we've already encountered several instances of the beautiful artistry of the Book of Exodus. It's hopefully becoming apparent that the author of Exodus is big on hinting at where the story is going. We're going to look at another instance of foreshadowing involving Moses and the people he will lead—Israel. The gist … Continue reading Exodus: Moses and Israel, Jesus and the Church
