The Bible doesn’t highlight many women, much less name them. When it does, we should take note. First Samuel starts with the story of Hannah, her infertility, her pain, her struggle to have a child and prove her worth to a world that didn’t value women, especially barren women. In chapter one we see her…
What does Jesus look like?
Halfway through a mother-son road trip to visit friends and colleges, we sat in a church parking lot in South Carolina. Food trucks lined the edges, serving everything from gourmet burgers and mac-and-cheese to fried pickles, something I’d certainly never had before. I tried them and will only say — my mouth was confused. We…
The Sin of Certainty
The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires our Trust More than our “Correct” Beliefs Peter Enns Paperback, Ebook, 230 pages. Published by HarperOne, April 2016. Buy it here. Peter Enns has come under fire a few times, even literally being fired from his position at a prestigious seminary. He is a Bible professor, author, speaker,…
Is God REALLY on our side?
Romans 8 may be my very favorite chapter of the Bible. Okay, in truth, I have several favorite chapters, but this short segment of a letter to the Roman believers cut straight to my heart as a teenager. It brought me to a saving knowledge of my separation from God and my need for grace…
Where should I start reading the Bible?
A friend recently asked… Should I read the Bible from cover to cover or maybe mix up some of the chapters? This is a GREAT question! There are loads of ways you can read and study the Bible. (Do note that reading and studying are not always the same thing.) The “best” way to approach…
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes
Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O’Brien Published by IVP Books, November 2012. Paperback, Ebook, or Audible, 240 pages. Buy it here. Summary: Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes attempts to shed light on how we, without even realizing it, read Scripture through…
If you have to learn the hard way, start asking these four questions.
Scripture is a funny thing. A group of people can read a passage together, and each member of that group could extract different layers. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through God’s Word, both corporately and individually. And the more you read it, the more you see. Sometimes what we see first, what rings most…
Encouraging or warning? Only context will tell.
“For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and He examines all your paths.” – Proverbs 5:21 This was the verse of the day set in bold block letters against a striking image of highways and train tracks. It offered encouragement to all those sparrows who long to have the Lord’s eyes upon…
About those First Impressions…
Once upon a time there was a lovely lady, the mother of both a prince and a princess — Let’s start over. Once upon a time there was a hot mess girl struggling to keep her stuff together after having two kids in quick succession. Okay, that girl is me and those two kids came…
Women Pastors and the Billy Graham Rule
I originally wrote this post as a thread on twitter in the wake of yet another church scandal involving men in power and some inappropriate relationships with women under their leadership. There’s no point extracting which one; I honestly don’t remember. And it doesn’t matter, because the point of this thread remains true. People want…
Tanya Dennis Books 