Once we have found ourselves traveling down God’s Holy Highway, with the wind of the spirit at our backs and the bright morning Son lighting the road ahead, there are still some basic driving tips we can follow to make the trip safer, more enjoyable and problem-free. One of the many jobs I have had … More RUSH HOUR 6: Eyes on the Road!
The decision to make a U-turn in life is much more difficult when everyone else seems to be headed in the same direction. I mean, come on! Can all this traffic possibly be going the wrong way? I mean, isn’t it safest to just go with the flow if you’re not sure what direction you should be headed? … More RUSH HOUR 5: Going Against the Flow
Turn around. Change direction. Make a U-turn. These are all accurate renderings of the Greek word metanoia, which is translated “repent” in most Bibles. The word ‘repent’ is loaded with religious baggage, notions of gloom and doom, judgment and wrath, hellfire and brimstone. But the word literally means “change” (meta) of “mind” (noia). Why even … More RUSH HOUR 4: Time to Make a U-Turn
You have heard it said, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” But I’m more convinced it is paved with bad directions. If Eve’s grave sin in the garden was a failure to follow God’s directions, her punishment has been putting up with Adam the rest of the way who refuses to … More RUSH HOUR 3: Asking for Directions
The Christian life should be a life on the road. It should be viewed as a long, exciting road trip. We are like “Christian” in John Bunyan’s classic allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress, who is “a man on an adventurous journey across rough terrain, over sunlit hills, and through dark valleys… From the City of Destruction … More RUSH HOUR 2: On the Road Again
“The gate is wide and the road easy that leads off a cliff, and there are many who drive it. But the gate is narrow and the road is bumpy that leads to life, and there are few who take it.” Matthew 7:13-14 “There will be a highway called the Holy Road… It’s for … More RUSH HOUR 1: Buckle Up
No issue is as timely for serious and sensitive biblical and pastoral reflection than the question of a biblical view of homosexuality. I will be teaching on this issue with our youth group in our study of Romans 1 and have taken this opportunity to re-examine the complexities surrounding this hot-button issue facing Christians today. … More The Sexual Vision of the Bible (R. Hays)
In the winter of 2000 my entire life was turned around, flipped upside down and spun inside out. I was a confused, well-intentioned, yet directionless 20 year-old sophomore at Bethel College decided to open up the Book of Acts in hopes of some general inspiration. Something remarkably simple yet profoundly powerful took place that evening … More A Powerful Collision: God, Bible, Authority & Narrative 1
In one garden, the lie was chosen over the will of God, and nature groaned under the curse and the grief and the countless tears of mankind that followed. In one garden, quietly, one full moon night the will of God was chosen over the lie and nature knew the promise of healing that would … More Gethsemane 1: Two Gardens
Here are a few of my favorite memorized Bible verses. Commit these to memory, write them on index cards, tape them to your car dash, and store them away for a rainy day when the “arrows of the enemy” come flying. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BIBLE VERSES? Trust in the LORD with all your heart and … More Memory Verses: Words to Live By
My firstborn buddy turns 3 years today, and I’m reposting this series from his birth on the meaning of his name. Enjoy! -JB What’s in a name, anyways? In a culture where most parents choose names that sound nice or are currently trendy, we find ourselves far from the world of the Bible. Names were … More His Name Is Peter 1
Q: Why is the Bible so strict on prohibiting pre-marital sex? What’s the big deal? Pastor Greg Boyd sheds some light on the Bible’s perspective on this sacredness of sex and marriage: Today in western culture people tend to have a rather “recreational” view of sex. It’s just a pleasurable physical activity we engage in. … More Q&A – What’s the Big deal about Sex?
This is a growing collection of resources to help familiarize Christians with the current debate on what the Bible teaches about homosexuality and how we can better love and minister to the GLBTQ community. WHAT DOES THE BIBLE TEACH? Here’s a good place to start if you’re wondering what the Bible teaches and how both sides make their … More Jesus, the Bible, & Homosexuality – Resources
UPDATE: Albert Mohler has a fair critique of the situation from a conservative angle worth reading HERE. Can’t we just get along? Well, probably not. But can’t we just at least try to listen to and respect those on the other side of socio-political issues? I’ve been posting lately on the political question sparked by Glenn … More Polarized & Perplexed About Helping the Poor
<Envelope Please> “And the winner for the grayest, grimmest, most violent post-apocalyptic thriller of 2010 involving the Bible goes to…..The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington.” <Applause> This movie is not for the light-hearted or weak-stomached. This movie paints a very dark picture of humanity in all it’s unfettered barbarism: rape, dismemberment, pillaging and survival of … More MOVIE REVIEW: The Book of Eli (2010)
How does this narrative approach then change the way Christians understand and relate to God and the Bible? Let’s look briefly at a narrative understanding of God, the fall, saving faith and evangelism. 1. A Narrative Understanding of God. The particular plot line reveals a lot about the heart and character of the Author. Therefore, in our … More A Powerful Collision: God, Bible, Authority & Narrative 3
Nobody likes being told what to do and what not to do. To some degree or another, everybody is suspicious and wary of “authority” and those we call “authority figures.” We think of relentless bosses, overbearing parents, slave-driving teachers, stern-eyed judges and intimidating police officers. Yet, the Authority that stands above the rest is God. … More A Powerful Collision: God, Bible, Authority & Narrative 2
Keri made me watch it. I didn’t want to. I watched it when it first came out in the mid 80s when I was about 8 years old. It was creepy. Do you remember The Neverending Story? Bastian is a boy bossed around by his dad and bullied by schoolmates, all the while grieving the death … More MOVIE REVIEW: The Neverending Story (1984)
Two significant voices offer well-needed clarity on the ongoing battle within the Episcopalian and Anglican churches over the question of homosexual clergy. Check it out: Ben Witherington III: “The Wright Stuff Hits the Fan” Tom Wright article in Times Online
Jeremy L. Berg 