Read Reflect The Book of Proverbs is what theologians call wisdom literature. Other examples are the Books of Job and Ecclesiastes. They are there to offer sage advice about how to live well and in relation to God but you are left to work out the detail yourself. In Proverbs the advice often emerges by […]

Read Reflect Psychology has shown that our perceptions do not yield a 100% carbon copy of reality. That is, our thinking often falls prey to a number of biases. As we think about justice in a particular situation, a bias called the fundamental attribution error comes into play. Here’s how it works: When you see […]

Read Reflect Hope has become a hot topic in psychology and in ministry. Researchers and ministry professionals alike are coming to realize that hope is more than just a squishy feeling – a determination to keep our rose-colored glasses on even in the darkest of circumstances. Psychologists define hope as the will and determination to […]

Read Reflect In my years of studying how people interact with God’s Word, I’ve learned many things. For example, 40% of Christ followers have never read the entire Bible. They believe the Bible is inspired and the source of truth, yet are satisfied with skimming the surface of familiar books and passages. When we only […]

Read Reflect Recently I read a dissertation that explored why men in the Caribbean are reluctant to attend church. The author argued, quite convincingly, that the traditional portrayal of Jesus as a blue eyed, fair skinned man with a gentle spirit contrasts too sharply with that culture’s masculine ideal. Verses 1 to 6 in this […]

Read Reflect We travel easily nowadays; we call the agents, plan ahead, book online, happily piling up our frequent flyer points. But how did Paul manage his constant travels?  Would you have liked to be his travel agent? Acts is a travelogue, and this chapter, which is our lead-in to our section on 1 Thessalonians, […]

Read Reflect Have you ever faced a task that just seemed too overwhelming to accomplish? Whether rebuilding an engine, dealing with hurdles within your organization, or even taking the Gospel to a hostile unreached people group. I know I have! Too many times I sit at my desk, look at the needs our organization has, […]