The Writings section of the Old Testament is also referred to as the Wisdom Literature. These books don’t fit naturally into the Law, History, or Prophets categories. While these books are different, they each artistically teach the wisdom in keeping God’s Law.
Theology
10 Bible Verses for Wives
Looking for Bible verses to study or memorize on a particular area? One of the best ways to fight for holiness and combat against sin is by memorizing Scripture. Here are 10 verses for wives. Prov. 31:11-12 – The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all …
Interpreting the Law
In our study of Hermeneutics, we come to one of the most difficult sections of Scripture to interpret – the Law.
Oftentimes, New Testament believers go too far in relation to the Law – either by expressing strict obedience to all types or by ignoring the commandments altogether as not applying to us. We must find a healthy balance when it comes to interpreting this wonderful section of Scripture.
Prone to Wander
For years, people have loved the hymn, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” While many reasons exist for this song persevering through the years, one of the main reasons I believe is the lyrical and musical combination of such an honest line: Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. I think we all …
Interpreting the Narratives
In the study of hermeneutics, one of the most critical steps is learning how to interpret narratives. Narratives are the story form of literature. 60% of the Bible is composed of historical narratives. How should we interpret an event that happened one time to one person or to one people?
10 Bible Verses for Husbands
Looking for Bible verses to study or memorize on a particular area? One of the best ways to fight for holiness and combat against sin is by memorizing Scripture. Here are 10 verses for how husbands should love their wives. Col. 3:19 – Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Eph. 5:25 – Husbands, love your wives, as …
The Meaning of a Text
As we continue in our hermeneutics study, it is important to discuss how we determine the meaning of a text.
The Importance of Context
When it comes to reading Scripture, context is key.
Too much of our current biblical study focuses on isolated verses and neglects the context of which the verses were originally written.
Settling for Golden Calves [When God Appears to Take Too Long]
When Moses met with God on the mountain to receive the commandments, all of Israel waited to hear the divine directives. The problem is they didn’t wait that long. They grew impatient and took matters into their own hands. The baffling thing about this narrative is how good God had been to them. God didn’t prescribe commandments until after he …
The Interpretation of Translation
In the 2nd week of our Hermeneutics course, we learned about “The Interpretation of Translation.” The Bible in our possession has divisions of testaments, books, chapters and verses. 66 books are included and many religious books were left out. In addition, the Bible was composed in 3 different languages, and a reading in English means that someone has already began the process of hermeneutics without us really thinking about it.
10 Bible Verses for Conquering Your Fear
Looking for Bible verses to study or memorize on a particular area of struggle? One of the best ways to combat sin is by memorizing Scripture. Here are 10 verses for conquering fear. Ps. 56:3 – When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as …
Hurricanes and My Heart
Like so many of us, I have watched the hurricane coverage this week with disbelief. The size of the storm is overwhelming. The devastation is unimaginable. Something about a storm that we can prepare for but not stop challenges us as such an advanced, capable culture. As I watch the category 5 hurricane blast through countries I have never visited …
Stats on the Bible
The Bible is 1 narrative composed of 2 testaments made up of 66 books – 39 books in the OldTestament followed by 27 books in the New Testament. The Bible has 1,189 chapters composed of 31,173 verses filled by 773,692 words. The Bible was written by different authors whose occupations ranged from kings to shepherds, scholars to fishermen, prophets to …
Jesus Is the Greater Isaac
Isaac. This beloved, only son was willing to be sacrificed, followed his father up the mountain, traveled on a donkey’s back into the city of sacrifice, journeyed three days to his destination, carried the wood of his death upon his back, the substitute had a crown of thorns, and the son was raised from death. Is it just me, or …
The Task of Hermeneutics
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. -2 Tim. 2:15
Satan’s Strategy
Curiously, in the Garden of Eden, the serpent begins his attack with Eve. The devious nature of this attack lies in the fact that God had instructed Adam concerning the law of the land, and yet the serpent approaches Eve to challenge those rules. The manner in which he comes also speaks volumes. Lucifer, known for his brilliant covering arrayed …
6 Things to Do When You Start a Bible Reading Plan
If you struggled with consistently reading the Word, you are not alone, but that doesn’t mean that you have to remain where you are. It’s difficult to hit something if you aren’t aiming at it. Many people fail at Bible reading because they don’t have a plan. There are many great reading plans out there, but regardless of which one you …
The Word 100-Day Reading Plan
The Word Bible reading plan is a chronological 100-day guide that focuses on 50 pivotal Old Testament readings and 50 pivotal New Testament readings. As we go through “The Word” series, our Sunday sermons will focus on the passage for that day. During the week, our church will be reading through the rest of the passages to gain a fuller …
I’m Unsure of the Way [But Sure of Who’s Leading]
I was at a place where I had to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life. The choice before me was never one I anticipated making. Moving churches, homes, and cities was not on the radar for our family. If God was in this transition, why was it so hard? It seemed apparent that God was pointing …
A Bible Summary in 271 Words
I have preached through the narrative of the Bible in different ways in the past. For “The Word” series at our church, I decided to give an outline. In the past, I have always told people to avoid taking notes because it is too free-flowing. But I have also found myself spending so much time on the Old Testament that …
3 Circles: 1 Method of Sharing the Gospel
The 3 CIRCLES PRESENTATION helps answer common questions in a simple and memorable way so that you can begin to naturally and actively share it with others. Here are two videos to help you understand the nature of the presentation and to show you how to present it in a conversation with someone as you share the gospel. Here is a more …
How Often Do You Read the Bible?
I once was asked if I believed in the Bible. My answer was emphatically, “yes!” After my response, the person asked, “Have you read everything in the Bible?” At that point, I couldn’t say that I had. I was basing my entire life off of something I had not completely read yet. That needed to change. I began to read …
Creation & Revelation
Psalm 19 is a key passage to help explain how we learn about the character and nature of God. Creation tells us there is a God. Revelation tells us what he is like [Ps. 19:1, 7]. If you read Psalm 19:1-6, the psalmist proclaims that creation shows us that God exists. Most people look at a night sky or a …
When a Nobody Turns into Somebody
In my personal devotional time and sermon preparation time, I have been studying the life of David for the summer months. While I have loved preaching through a series on David, there has been so much more in the Bible that we didn’t get to regarding his life. When we first meet David, he is a nobody. He is disregarded …
I Fail to Believe Jesus on This Issue
I am banking everything on Jesus. The way I do life, finances, marriage, kids, work, and play, I seek to do things his way. If he says it, I am changed by it. That is not saying that I always do it, but I am at the place in life where I believe his ways are always better than mine …
Where & When You Sin the Most
For every moment of strength in David’s life, there was often a subsequent weakness. For every Goliath, there was also a Bathsheba. I think that is why so many of us resonate with King David. We emulate him one moment and disdain him the next. That’s where so many of us live. We have more bloopers than highlight reels. King …
Why We Memorize & How We Memorize
For years, I have told people the importance of memorizing Scripture, but I have never taught people how to memorize Scripture. I want to help you know why we memorize Scripture and how we memorize Scripture. We must discipline our minds to have the Bible accessible even when the Bible is not available. Scripture memory is a powerful tool. While …
Hallelujah (O What a Savior)
I wrote this song in college based off of Psalm 51:8. You can stream or download for free! Let the bones which you have broken rejoice. Chord Chart – Hallelujah (O What A Savior) – C
I Am Jesus’ Mephibosheth
In the sermon, “Reserved Seating,” I taught from 2 Samuel 9 recounting the story of when King David brought crippled Mephibosheth to dine at his table as one of his own. While the story of what David did for the family member of the rival regime is incredible, it also foreshadowed of another king who would welcome people from another …
Training for Godliness
In order to grow in the gospel (2 Pet. 3:18), we must train ourselves for godliness (1 Tim. 4:7). Paul instructed Timothy very clearly regarding the matter in 1 Tim. 4:6-16: 6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good …
When God Says “No” to Your Plans
I’ve been told for most of my life that you can’t say “yes” to everything. I’ve also been instructed that the most important word in a busy life is learning how to say “no” to certain things. I see the benefit of saying “no” but I don’t want anyone to tell that to me. Especially God. What happens when you …
The Law’s Primary Purpose Was Not to Keep It
You can’t understand the purpose of the Ten Commandments until you grasp the timeline of when Moses climbed the mountain to receive them. God gave the 10 Commandments to Moses in Exodus 20. In Exodus 14, the Israelites are walking through the Red Sea on dry ground. Why did God give the Law after this event? It would seem that …
I Want to Be Obed-Edom
As King David prepares to bring the Ark of the Covenant back into Jerusalem, something shocking occurs. The Israelites were transporting the ark on a cart driven by oxen because that’s how they saw the Philistines do it. The problem was God commanded them to have the priests carry it on poles. When the ox stumbled, the Ark gets tipsy, …
Overview of 2 Samuel
I have loved preaching through 1-2 Samuel. This video explores the main ideas and flow of thought of the book of 2 Samuel. The Bible Project is a non-profit creating animated videos that explain the narrative of the Bible. These videos are free to use for personal and educational purposes. Download a full resolution version of this video along with …
Overview of 1 Samuel
I have loved preaching through 1-2 Samuel. This video explores the main ideas and flow of thought of the book of 1 Samuel. The Bible Project is a non-profit creating animated videos that explain the narrative of the Bible. These videos are free to use for personal and educational purposes. Download a full resolution version of this video along with …
Jesus Is the Greater David
As you study the Old Testament, you begin to see the foreshadowing of Christ. Typological characters and events fill the pages. While these events are important in and of themselves, they are a shadow of something greater to come. In studying the life of David, you begin to realize something very important. Jesus is the greater David who defeated the …
Don’t Discount ANYTHING in Your Past
Before David was a king, he was a shepherd. He was a warrior. He was a musician. At a young age, he was known as skillful instrumentalist upon the lyre (1 Sam. 16:18). That doesn’t happen over night. At some point, he was some kid plucking away at the lyre. Before he could ever shred the strings on this tiny guitar-like …
Imprisoned By Our Desires
When I was young, my family rescued a dog named Butch out of the county kennel. This mutt who used to live in a tiny cell was brought into a huge backyard where he had all the food, water, and running space of which a dog could only hope. Surrounded by love and protection, I knew he would happier than …
Titus Series Recap
Listen to some snippets from our 8-week sermon series through the Book of Titus. Get the entire series here.
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