Bible

Rewarded for What We’ve Done?

September 16, 2015 // 66 Comments

The Bible says that we will be rewarded for what we have done. Not what we have believed, but done-diddley-done-done. So what do we have to do? In this three-part series, we’re going to look at some of the rewarded-for-what-we’ve-done scriptures, beginning with this one: For the Son of Man is going to come in [...]

Is Grace a Person?

September 4, 2015 // 72 Comments

People sometimes ask me, “Why do you say grace is another name for Jesus?” or “Why do you say grace is a Person?” They are referring to something I wrote in my book The Gospel in Twenty Questions: Grace isn’t a bunch of rules for you to keep. And grace is not God’s lubricant for greasing the cogs of [...]

The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)

May 19, 2015 // 46 Comments

Once upon a time there was a man who went on a journey and before he left he entrusted three servants with his money. When the man returned, he praised the two servants who had doubled his money, but the third servant, who had done nothing, was thrown outside into the darkness. The parable of the talents (Matt [...]

The Parable of the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16:1–8)

March 19, 2015 // 31 Comments

The strangest parable Jesus ever told was about a man who cheats on his boss and is then praised for doing so (see Luke 16:1–8). The parable of the shrewd manager (or the unjust steward) is puzzling. What is Jesus trying to tell us? That it’s okay to cook the books, diddle the figures, and engage in [...]

Can Divorced People Remarry?

January 14, 2015 // 212 Comments

Hmm, that’s a tough one. Let me see. Can sinners be forgiven? Can runaways come home? Can crooks get a second chance? Can the broken be made whole? No, it’s not a tough question. It’s an easy question. Of course divorced people can remarry! These questions are only tough because religion has told us that [...]

Labor to Enter His Rest (Hebrews 4:11)

December 18, 2014 // 58 Comments

The other day a strange man approached a young girl and offered her candy if she would get in his car. Thankfully, the girl knew all about stranger danger and quickly walked to a shop where she was safe. I know you’ve heard this sort of story before but this was different for us because it happened on the [...]

The wrath of God has come upon them at last (1 Thess 2:16)

January 30, 2014 // 55 Comments

In our ongoing series on the wrath of God, there is an important scripture we have not yet looked at. It’s this one: For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who [...]

What is the “Coming Wrath”?

January 22, 2014 // 47 Comments

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” When John the Baptist said this to the Pharisees and Sadducees, what did he mean (see Luke 3:7-8)? What is the coming wrath? And is this something we should be concerned about? Some commentators say John was referring to the destruction of [...]

The Bible is not a Rule-Book

November 26, 2013 // 49 Comments

Imagine it’s your wedding day. You’ve had the ceremony, and you’re starting to relax when the minister hands you a gift, a thick book of Marriage Rules. “Read this,” he says. “The secret to a happy marriage is found within.” You open the book with interest. Inside you discover many rules and [...]

What about God’s Wrath?

October 16, 2013 // 57 Comments

The other night my little girl was on the toilet when she started yelling. “There’s a spider!” Normally, I would encourage my kids to face their fears and deal with spiders on their own but I could hear panic in my daughter’s voice. Poor kid. Stuck on the porcelain throne she was in no position to deal [...]

Grumble and Die? (James 5:9)

October 3, 2013 // 24 Comments

If you went to Sunday School you probably know that the Israelites grumbled in the wilderness. And you may also know what God did to them when they grumbled. He slaughtered them (see Ps 106:25-26)! “So let this be a lesson to you, children,” says the historically-minded teacher. “You grumble, you die.” [...]

Alternatives to Hell

July 15, 2013 // 80 Comments

You may have been raised with a picture of judgment that says sinners go to hell where they are tormented for eternity. Unless you say the magic words of a formulaic prayer, you will burn forever along with all the babies and children who never got a chance to put their faith in Jesus. Unsurprisingly, this [...]