The opportunity to study the Bible in-depth is one of the most rewarding privileges available to all of us. For me, this has manifested itself in a life-long love of growing and learning about both the historical contexts where various portions of the Bible were set and also my own journey constantly drawing me deeper […]
“Holy flattery”. That’s how Martin Luther described this shortest of Paul’s seven authenticated epistles since Paul uses every rhetorical technique, including bald flattery, to encourage Philemon to take back his runaway slave, Onesimus. Why Philemon, the letter, has become a favorite for me–especially when reading it aloud in a Bible Study group–is for the insight […]
A favorite ‘bucket list’ item of spiritual seekers is reading the Bible through at least once in their life, and preferably within a set time frame such as a year. Yet for many who have tried this noble undertaking, Leviticus often stands as the dividing line between the sheep and goats – between those who […]
May is an ideal time to focus on leadership, given all the graduations and accompanying speeches. One of the most stirring commencement talks I’ve come across is by the Admiral in charge of U.S. Special Operations Command, William H. McRaven. This link will take you to the speech he delivered at his own alma mater […]
Since our theme is leadership this month of May, let’s talk about a rather obscure event in Jesus’ ministry that illustrates one of leadership’s tougher aspects: declaring the sacred cows of our lives that are broken and need fixing. Matthew 21 tells one of those stories that can leave us scratching our heads more than […]
