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.”
Category Archives: Study the Word
DILUTED. Luke 14:34-35.
Merchants are famous for diluting things. They put water into wine to make the wine last longer (thus the phrase “watered down”). They mix grain into sausage so it appears to contain more meat than it does. To increase volume, drug dealers mix (or “cut”) cocaine with powdered laundry detergent, laxatives, and meat tenderizer (amongContinue reading “DILUTED. Luke 14:34-35.”
THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE. John 8:31-36.
I once attended two classes at UT with my brother, Dennis. One building had a motto chiseled near the top: “The Truth Shall Set You Free.” Dennis and I both sort of laughed at that, knowing that the people at UT probably liked the phrase, but were ignorant of its context—and would probably prefer toContinue reading “THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE. John 8:31-36.”
More Blessed than Mary. Luke 11:28
Jesus pointed out to the Pharisees that their ancestors loved Solomon, “but one greater than Solomon is here,” and the people of Nineveh listened to Jonah, “but one greater than Jonah is here.” Is that bragging? No. He is speaking the truth in love. They needed to hear the truth from Him directly. Then aContinue reading “More Blessed than Mary. Luke 11:28”
LAYERS. Matthew 1:17; Luke 3:38.
I just finished my eighth reading of Holman’s Chronological Bible (READING GOD’S STORY: A Chronological Bible, 2011, Nashville). The Bible is so deep, so rich, so LAYERED with meaning—you can keep reading the Bible all your life and ALWAYS learn something new. You may become a master of the scriptures, but you will never stopContinue reading “LAYERS. Matthew 1:17; Luke 3:38.”
A BIBLICAL ATTENTION SPAN. Nehemiah 8:2-5,9.
Are you a good listener? Am I? Consider this remarkable story. “Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding…. He read out of it from daybreak until noon … ALL THE PEOPLE LISTENED ATTENTIVELY. Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform madeContinue reading “A BIBLICAL ATTENTION SPAN. Nehemiah 8:2-5,9.”
DO YOU HAVE A HIGH BOREDOM TOLERANCE? Nehemiah 8:1-3.
How do you feel about reading aloud? My mind can wander when I listen to a lengthy reading. After all, we are the SHORT ATTENTION SPAN GENERATION, right? We crave fast food, music every second of our lives, TV and movies during every free moment until we hit the pillow late at night. Few thingsContinue reading “DO YOU HAVE A HIGH BOREDOM TOLERANCE? Nehemiah 8:1-3.”
YOUR FIRST BIBLE. Nehemiah 8:3
Do you remember your first Bible? Most of us received one as first graders, and we went home and sat down and opened it. We were excited. We turned to Genesis 1:1, and started reading … and it quickly became difficult and a little boring. The Bible is not a children’s book. It includes rape,Continue reading “YOUR FIRST BIBLE. Nehemiah 8:3”
EXPERTS. Ezra 7:6-21.
One of the most interesting things I did as a lawyer was to select and prepare expert witnesses. It is fascinating to meet people who are leaders in their fields. I hired an expert in tropical medicine (malaria), in metallurgy (for a suit over oilfield pipe) in orthodontia (for a suit about teeth being pulled),Continue reading “EXPERTS. Ezra 7:6-21.”
WHAT IS TRULY HIGH PRAISE? Daniel 10:12-13.
What have been your favorite compliments? I recently wrote a list of favorites from my whole life—I came up with 37, including one or two from each of you! But several people in the Bible were praised by God—now THAT’S high praise! God called Abraham His friend, Genesis 18:17. He said Job spoke rightly ofContinue reading “WHAT IS TRULY HIGH PRAISE? Daniel 10:12-13.”
Household Words: 