THIS IS NOT MELATONIN. Ezekiel 44:5; 2 Timothy 2:15.

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.”

STUDY THE WORD. 2 Timothy 2:15.

My Facebook profile pic this week is a quotation from a great preacher: “You can live on froth, bubbles, and little wisps of badly understood theology until the pressure is on. But when the pressure is on, you will want to know what kind of God you are serving” —A.W. Tozer. I posted this forContinue reading “STUDY THE WORD. 2 Timothy 2:15.”

DO THE HEAVY LIFTING. 2 Peter 3:15-16; 2 Timothy 2:15.

Do you agree with these principles? –Yet, most Christians prefer sermons that skim the surface and never get deep. We get nervous when we hear words like “doctrine,” or “eschatology.” We want preachers to tell good stories and make us feel inspired, but we don’t want to think too much. We want to sing songsContinue reading “DO THE HEAVY LIFTING. 2 Peter 3:15-16; 2 Timothy 2:15.”

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.”

Today’s Math Problem. Matthew 1:1, 17.

The book of Matthew—and thus, the New Testament—begins with the remarkable genealogy of Jesus. Genealogies make tough reading, but put yourself in the writer’s position: Matthew wants to prove to his Hebrew people that Jesus is their long-awaited Messiah. Jesus’s ancestry is the logical place to start.  “The historical record of Jesus Christ, the SonContinue reading “Today’s Math Problem. Matthew 1:1, 17.”

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.”

Write This Down! Ezekiel 40:4.

What is with these kids? Classes began last week.  I had a room full of college kids staring at me as I told them about the class. I told them about myself and the way class would be structured—all the usual things.  They listened but wrote down nothing. Then we began discussing the law.  AndContinue reading “Write This Down! Ezekiel 40:4.”