It’s a clickbait title, in part because I’m not thrilled to be writing this post. I don’t love being negative; there’s plenty of that in the world without me adding to it. But I’ve had a higher-than-average rate of knowing…
Condemnation vs. Recognition of Sin
In the book of John, we find a very interesting story about a woman who was caught “in the very act” of adultery. While I’m well aware that this story isn’t in the most accurate early manuscripts of the book…
8 Ways to Support (and not Blame) Victims
Isaiah tells us that if we “quit blaming victims,” God will bring blessings (58:9-12). What does not blaming victims look like in real life? 1) Recognize that one, if not both, parties are victims of sin, held captive by the…
Caring for the Bystanders in a Scandal
It’s funny how things happen. This morning, my sister said, “I read the most interesting thing in Isaiah this morning!” And she proceeded to read to me the exact passage I was reading last Wednesday morning: If you get rid…
Should We Talk About Leaders in Sin?
I read a fascinating passage in Isaiah this morning: If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people’s sins… Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed…
Talking with God (About Anything!)
When I was in school, we used a curriculum from a fairly conservative Christian publisher. I won’t say we didn’t have some good laughs over the English assignments about why rock music and communists were of the devil. We also…
Taking Thoughts Captive (It’s Not Exhausting!)
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to…
Do We See God as a Narcissist?
Do we see God as a narcissist? Most of us would give a forceful “no,” first because we can rattle off “God is love” with fervor, and second because we all know narcissism is bad, and we can also rattle…
An Accurate Definition of Gossip
If you’ve been in the Christian faith for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard sermons and admonitions against gossip. That’s in part because gossip is such an enormous problem in many churches, and in an attempt to bring some…
Bible Verses about Camping
The Bible talks about camping quite a bit, probably because the Patriarchs lived in tents! And of course, David and others lived in tents when they went to battle, and the tabernacle was a tent (the Tent of Meeting). Enjoy…