Tobin PerryThe tree of life represents the fullness of eternal life that God wishes to lavish on humanity. It’s one of the most powerful images in God’s Word, extending from the first chapters of Genesis to the final ones of Revelation. Of the three most...
Often, when we talk about the early church, we’re tempted to idealize it. But that’s before you get to 1 and 2 Corinthians—which were written to arguably one of the most dysfunctional churches in the New Testament. Then you’re...
Have you ever wondered, “What does the Bible really say about not going to church?” You’re not alone, especially in recent years, as the COVID-19 pandemic affected the church-attending habits of Christians worldwide. A few years...
Grief seems like such a human emotion. So what does it mean when Paul writes, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:30)? How can the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of the all-powerful, all-knowing creator—possibly grieve? And what could make...
“Attributes of God” sounds like a stuffy theological phrase that barely relates to how we live our Christian lives. In fact, most of us (me included) have to sit with a dictionary in hand to understand the $100 words some theologians use...
Theology is the world’s most important topic. The word “theology” may have only four syllables, but it’s a big word—a very big word. Theology is the study of God. But anytime you set out to study someone as large as the creator of the universe, it’s...
With sixty-six books of the Bible written over two thousand years, the Bible is the most diverse collection of literature in the world. Those books contain some of the most famous stories, most respected wisdom, and most powerful prose (and poetry)...
Ever wondered, “When did Jesus die?” It’s a perfectly reasonable question as we near the celebration of Easter. The good news is there’s a fairly straightforward answer. The Bible and historical records suggest Jesus died at...
Bible study is the practice—whether individually or within a group—of reading, interpreting, and applying Scripture to daily life. Christians don’t study the Bible simply to amass information they won’t use. The point of Bible study is to know God...
“Who is Jesus?” is one of the most frequently asked questions in human history. It’s likely more books have been written on the topic than any other. But it’s much more than just a popular topic. You literally can’t ask...
Soon it will be Valentine’s Day, a day on the greeting card calendar for celebrating romantic (or what the Greeks called eros) love. We’d like to twist this day a bit (though there’s nothing wrong with hearts, flowers, and chocolate) and turn our...
“The Bible says that our real problem is that every one of us is building our identity on something besides Jesus.”— Tim Keller Our identity in Christ may be simultaneously the most important and most ignored part of our spiritual growth...
I was staring at the back of The Man Sitting in Front of Me, the one who killed my little brother. First my sister, then my niece, stood and told the man what his act had taken from us. The murder had been vicious. My not quite thirty-eight-year-old...
What is hermeneutics? Hermeneutics is any effort to interpret the meaning of communication, particularly communication that is being interpreted in a different cultural context. In the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, Bernard C. Lategan says about...
It’s hard to think of a more important topic for the church today than leadership. Doctrine matters. Cultural exegesis matters. Scriptural fidelity matters.But without Scripture-soaked, servant-minded leaders at every level of the church, God’s...