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
Exodus: Zipporah and her Sisters’ Ironic Declaration
The note card read, "Zipporah". "I don't know who that is!" yelled one of the youth group students at our Church. We were playing a Bible guessing-game. Everyone had a notecard (either on your forehead or back, so you can't see it) with the name of a Bible character written on it. The goal of … Continue reading Exodus: Zipporah and her Sisters’ Ironic Declaration
Exodus: Moses a.k.a the New Noah
The more I’ve read the Bible, the more I’ve come to realize and appreciate its artistry. I mean the writers are beautifully creative and carried along by the Spirit of God so it’s hardly surprising. Yet, I’m often gleefully surprised by the depth of God’s Word. The Book of Exodus has no shortage of artistic depth … Continue reading Exodus: Moses a.k.a the New Noah
Exodus: Pharaoh Plans His Own Demise
A constant claim of the Bible is God's sovereignty. He is the true King—the only true God—whose plan of redemption will not be stopped. The book of Exodus details a battle of sorts between a false king and his gods (Pharaoh and his gods) vs the true King and the true God (YHWH). At the beginning of … Continue reading Exodus: Pharaoh Plans His Own Demise
Exodus: Two Women Defeat Pharaoh
God often uses women to thwart the plans of evil. We see it all over the Bible and I've seen it plenty of times in my own life. In the early chapters of the book of Exodus, God uses women (Shiphrah, Puah, Jochabed, Miriam, Pharaoh's daughter) to defeat the most powerful man in the world—Pharaoh—and … Continue reading Exodus: Two Women Defeat Pharaoh
Exodus: Abram’s Exodus Foreshadows Israel’s
Most people know the story of Israel's Exodus from Egypt. Whether you learned it in Sunday School, or by watching Charlton Heston's portrayal of Moses in the classic The Ten Commandments, or by watching the animated movie Prince of Egpyt (also a classic), you know the basic structure of the story: Jacob and his sons go … Continue reading Exodus: Abram’s Exodus Foreshadows Israel’s
5 Helpful Books on Jesus’ Parables
Jesus is the greatest teacher to walk the earth. He taught through many means, but one of His favorites was storytelling. These were not tales meant simply to entertain, but extended analogies (παραβολή "parable") meant to reveal, to teach, to persuade, and to provoke change. Ultimately, He spoke in parables to reveal the kingdom to … Continue reading 5 Helpful Books on Jesus’ Parables
12 Quotes of Christmas and God Incarnate
So then He united man with God, and established a community of union between God and man; since we could not in any other way participate in incorruption, save by His coming among us...So the Word was made flesh, that, through that very flesh which sin had ruled and dominated, it should lose its force … Continue reading 12 Quotes of Christmas and God Incarnate