It really interests me how Christians often simply don't believe in the reality or possibility of physical, emotional, and spiritual transformation.  They look at this kind of talk as mere...

At the end of this post, I offer an entirely new song to sing—one that is based on seven principles found in biblical texts.  Whether this ever gets set to music, I cannot say.  But...

In Part 1 of this short series on “the new you,” I focused on the substance found in a couple of key biblical texts.  I explored how the phrase “the new you” in these...

Have you heard the popular motivational saying, “To reach new levels, a ‘new you’ has to show up”?  We’ve all seen stats that show how “new you...

Sometimes, no matter how hard or how long you work at something, what you’re doing just doesn't get the results you had hoped for. You put in the effort, you follow the steps, and...

Today, I've just returned home from a stellar 5-day trip to Kansas City.  And today, I have a January announcement.  But first, what leads to it...

The Publisher

I went to KC as an...

When reading the Bible, I am responsible for the kinds of questions I'm willing to ask and for the way I am willing to hear what a text is saying. I'll come back to that idea.  But first...

The word “Godhead” in some English translations of the Bible is misleading, since people often equate it with the word “Trinity.”  The word “Trinity” never...

Right now, we’re reading Ephesians—a small, positive, powerful little book.  So, to all of our reading partners, I’m suggesting that we approach it like talking with a...

For this reason, take up the full armor of God
so that you may be able to stand your ground on the evil day,
and having done everything, to stand.  

Paul (Eph 6:13)

Starting...

Our families, our churches, our towns and cities, our country, our society, our world—we would have to be close to blind, or in abject denial, not to see that, in many ways, we are coming...

It's sorely lacking in US and world politics, general society, churches, among neighbors, and, especially within families—to the point of a frightening urgency.  We all see it.  We...

Before you watch the video, I have an important piece of information.    

This video might not be what you expect. 

All my life, I've heard the following...

Your Expectation

It is mouthwatering when we take with us through a day a healthy, vibrant, eager expectation for the good that is about to happen next. It dramatically affects how we experience...

Since most people have never heard of "Power-Reading the Bible" or of "engaging biblical authors in conversation through their texts," it's important to point out that this is not business as usual...

Today, we continue with 2 more of the 5 strategies that Bible readers should seriously embrace to help create a mindset for entering into conversation with biblical authors...

How do we consciously and strategically create a mindset for entering into conversation with biblical authors through their texts? That's our main question in this sub-series of...

You got up late this morning after texting too long last night with your best friend about some random issue. Consequently, the kids and the dog were acting up this morning. Traffic was heavy and...

If you want to get depressed, go look up the "Flat Bible Believers" Facebook page. Its very existence helps to demonstrate that people read the Bible every which way they can, and every which...

In my previous post, I talked about self disciplines (or disciplines for the self) as specialty tools, and I noted that these tools are designed to do some things, but not other things. I...

Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" came out in 1964;  a new version by the group Disturbed in 2015.  I only heard the Disturbed version two days ago—exactly 60 years after...

"You just think everybody has to become a scholar to read the Bible!"  Occasionally, some feel uneasy with what I’m saying in the previous posts, and some even get offended by it,...

We certainly need to read the Bible for personal and lofty reasons, in search of spiritual formation. As with textual interests, there are methods that are applied to the self.[1]   Back...

Frankly, the basics are pretty straightforward:  think of every biblical text as a friend, and then treat your friend the way you want to be treated. Start by listening to your...