Sometimes Bible reading is like mood music in a department store—humming along quietly in the background, but no one’s really listening. You may call your devotional a “Quiet Time,” but your mind should NOT be quiet—it should be buzzing with thoughts about what you’re reading. Consider how we sell Bibles. Are they surrounded by teaContinue reading “THIS IS NOT MELATONIN. Ezekiel 44:5; 2 Timothy 2:15.”
Category Archives: Read the Bible
READ THE EPISTLES. Titus 2:2-8.
When I read the Bible as a college student I gravitated toward the epistles—the letters to other believers. Others my age had different favorites. One young lady I knew loved the Old Testament for its amazing histories. Some loved Proverbs because you can always find one or two nuggets to think about the rest ofContinue reading “READ THE EPISTLES. Titus 2:2-8.”
BASIC INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE LEAVING EARTH. Philippians 1:27.
Some say the word BIBLE stands for “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” The Bible has lots of instructions for those ready to hear them–“for those who have ears to hear.” And although some Old Testament rules (such as dietary restrictions) may not apply to our daily lives, that is not true for the instructions inContinue reading “BASIC INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE LEAVING EARTH. Philippians 1:27.”
ROMANS CHAPTER EIGHT. Romans 8.
Hey! Stop whatever you’re doing and read Romans 8! Is that not the richest passage, filled with amazing promises for your life? No condemnation. The Spirit gives peace. In Christ, we conquer sin. The coming glory outweighs present problems. God helps us, even fixing our prayers. God causes good to come in all things. IfContinue reading “ROMANS CHAPTER EIGHT. Romans 8.”
WISDOM. Hebrews 4:12-13.
The year 2020 was a year of searing pain. I talked to a friend at work during the summer of 2021 about the year of 2020, and about politics, riots, COVID, vaccines, and suffering. If you measured the greatest amount of pain distributed to the greatest number of people, the pain of 2020 must haveContinue reading “WISDOM. Hebrews 4:12-13.”
CAN YOU READ? Luke 24:45.
Reading is easy, right? Children pick it up early and love books. Some even become “million-word readers.” Then parents give them phones and their reading level hits a plateau. (Okay, it’s not that simple: research says texting is actually good practice for low-level fundamentals, but too much “screen time” becomes a problem later, slowing orContinue reading “CAN YOU READ? Luke 24:45.”
MUTINY ON THE PLANTATION. Mark 12:1-12.
Louisiana once boasted many plantations. One was owned by an old man from Virginia. His elderly wife inherited the massive operation but was unwilling to return to the malarial swamps of the Deep South. So he and his son leased the property to sharecroppers, men who would plant cotton and sugar cane and turn theContinue reading “MUTINY ON THE PLANTATION. Mark 12:1-12.”
REVIEW SHEETS. John 12:48; 2 Corinthians 5:10.
How do you respond when professors give you review sheets? Do you study with them, or do you ignore them and study what you want? If you have not figured it out yet, let me tell you: FOCUS ON THE REVIEW SHEET. Don’t be distracted by your usual habit of outlining your notes. That’s anContinue reading “REVIEW SHEETS. John 12:48; 2 Corinthians 5:10.”
DON’T WAIT FOR THE MOVIE.
In high school, my brother Dennis and I talked about our faith a few times with the boys on our street. One of them said the Bible was too boring to read. “I’m waiting for the movie to come out.” We answered by talking about the chorus of a Christian song that had just beenContinue reading “DON’T WAIT FOR THE MOVIE.”
WORDS MATTER. Matthew 19:4.
I wrote a book of study tips. One tip encourages visual learners to make the content from their classes visual if possible. But visual media have their limits: “IF YOU DON’T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY TO STUDY, THEN CONVERT YOUR NOTES TO DRAWINGS AND DIAGRAMS. If you’re a ‘visual person’ (everyone says they’re a visualContinue reading “WORDS MATTER. Matthew 19:4.”
Household Words: 