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Reading The Bible Critically

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One of my seminary professors told us about a time when he guest-preached at a small, rural church as a favor for a friend.   When he read the Scripture for his sermon, he used his Greek New Testament, which he translated directly from the original Greek.  After the service, he was approached by several of the agitated church elders.   "What version of the Bible were you reading from?" they angrily demanded.  "We only use the King James Version of the Bible in our church!"  He patiently showed them his New Testament and explained that he translated it from the original language on the fly, but they were not mollified.   One of them said, "If you ever preach here again, make sure you use the right interpretation."   Of course, this begs the question, "What is the right  interpretation of the Bible?" I don't have the space in a Daily Devo to address that question entirely, but suffice it to say that whichever interpretation is closest to the an

Signs and Wonders - Week Four: "The Verse After THE Verse"

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The Season of Lent  The Scriptures help us paint a picture of Lent filled with signs and wonders for those willing to see them.  They help tell the story of how far God is willing to go to rescue those whom God loves.   This is the Fourth Sunday of Lent  We will read a passage that includes the most famous verse in the New Testament and why the next verse should be more famous.  Roadside Christian Signs—the good, the bad and the ugly Images of Roadside Signs with Christian-y Declarations But there’s one reference that gets more play… and that's John 3:16.  We find it being waved in sports stadiums, plastered on buildings, even athletes put the verse on their body.   The question that we will be asking today is:  If all you had was John 3:16—would that be enough to tell the whole story? In the passage we're reading today, Jesus tells a religious leader that to fully experience the kingdom of God, he needs to be "born again."   Being “born again” - how that can be probl

Beauty Can Save The World

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Did you know that a little bit of paint, some fantastic creativity, and community investment can transform roads and make them safer for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers?   Well, the Asphalt Art Initiative has done just that in cities across the U.S.  The Asphalt Art Initiative was created in 2020 by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Within its first year,  it helped cover “nearly 86,500 square feet of streets with artwork in 16 [U.S.] cities,” according to a news release by the City of East Providence, Rhode Island. It’s since expanded its grant program, and has now supported a total of 64 art projects in U.S. and European cities. So, what is the Asphalt Art Initiative?  It's best to simply show some examples:  How does a mural on the pavement affect traffic safety?  That's an excellent question, and it has a data-driven answer.   The Asphalt Art Initiative recently published a study it commissioned to determine the difference in crashes and accidents before the murals were put in p

Being An Evangelist For The Right Reasons

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I've been thinking a lot lately about the state of the Church in the U.S., which is what you do when you're a pastor. I've read many books and articles about the decline of the Church in the U.S., which probably isn't good for my mental health.  Honestly, it keeps me up at night sometimes to think about it.  The news could definitely be better.  I recently attended a governing body meeting that I serve on as a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister. There was much discussion about the future of the Church and declining attendance, membership, and engagement.  The vast majority of the church leaders gathered there that day lead churches with less than 100 members and less than 50 people in worship each Sunday. I discovered that one pastor in a discussion group with me had maybe two members left in her church.  A few years ago, a study revealed that over 4,000 churches close their doors yearly. That number is about to go up.   Even the so-called mega-churches are feeling the

Emptying The Storehouse Every Morning

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Some days, it's just hard to get out of bed.   Granted, the older I get, the more difficult it is to get my limbs to cooperate when I first rise.  Everything pops and cracks like the floor of an old house when you walk on it.   But it's more than just the discomfort of joints and aching muscles that makes me want to stay in bed some days---it's a sense of dread or of feeling overwhelmed by the day ahead.   Sometimes, it's the lingering effects of whatever kept me up the night before, too.  Over the past months, I have had more than a few nights when my thoughts were spinning, ideas forming, plans swirling, and worries abounding, and I lay awake, knowing that sleep wouldn't happen for a while.   I think too much... I think.   I'm not alone in this. I'm certain that more than a few of you are reading this Devo today who resonate entirely with what I'm saying.   I read a beautiful prayer the other day by Kate Bowler (who is becoming a go-to source of inspir

How To Be An Encourager

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Recently, the language tutoring company Preply conducted a survey asking some interesting questions.  The first question was how often they shared words of support and affirmation with others.   Of those polled, 42% said they share words of support with others daily.  I found that number fascinating because it could have been much lower, considering the lack of civility in our current culture.   The other question that sparked my attention was, "What words or phrases of support or affirmation do you like to hear the most?"   Overall, three simple phrases topped the list of words they like to hear: “I’m proud of you,” “You’ve got this,” and “I believe in you.” Following up in fourth, fifth, and sixth place were “You’re doing great,” “I’m here for you,” and “You can do it,” respectively.  Some readers might recall the book and course accompanying "The 5 Love Languages." The "languages" included Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Deeds of Service, Quality

Speak Up!

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One of the many issues that have emerged in our post-pandemic culture is that in our eagerness to put all of the trauma of the pandemic behind us, we've never really taken stock of the collateral damage that still exists in our society.  One such area of concern for sociologists and psychologists is the lack of meaningful connections between people, which can result in ever-increasing isolation, loneliness, and a deterioration of mental health.  We live in an age of anxiety.  More people are walking around with low-grade depression than at any other time in U.S. history.   And for Jesus-followers this presents a unique opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world, if we are willing to embrace it.   Recently, I read a remarkable passage from a book by Kate Bowler, who addressed this very thing:  Our neighbors are expressing an aching desire to feel less alone, needing language for the pain they've experienced, searching for meaning and someone to tell them the tru