Fisher of Men

When people criticize the Bible, they often point to contradictions. “The Bible says this here, but says the opposite over here!” This proves, they say, that this cannot be God’s book, it’s no different from any other human book with the usual errors and mistakes. Usually it’s quite easy to show that these are only “seeming” contradictions. If we interpret God’s Word correctly, we will usually be able to show how both verses or passages are true. However, sometimes it’s not so easy. Sometimes it’s very hard. Sometimes it looks almost impossible. One of these “impossible” passages is James 2:24, probably the biggest “contradiction” in the Bible.  Let me state this problem as clearly as I can. In at least three places in Romans alone the Apostle Paul says that we are saved by faith alon...

My daughter is precious beyond belief. An exploding barrel of gunpowder, rainbow sprinkles, unicorns, and sarcastic Barbie Dolls is probably the best description of her personality. She’s a caring and compassionate soul who melts my heart with a funny phrase or hint of a smile. And, I want her to become a confident woman who leads with her personality, glorifies God, and demands the right attention with the right motivation. This message, however, is potentially contrary to what she will be hearing. Modesty is often taught to motivate not “offending others.” But I want my daughter to be compelled towards modesty for more than that.  Certainly, helping to keep men from the temptation to lust is noble. But whenever modesty is just about managing uncovered skin, there is generally a fail...

This week marks the 42nd Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the United States Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion on January 22, 1973.  Since that time over 60 million babies have been aborted in the United States. That’s about 8 times the number of people who live in Indiana (my state) and over a sixth of the total current population in the United States. Abortion is a polarizing issue in our culture: a moral, political, and religious dividing line that separates ethicists, citizens, and even professing Christians. And while many of my readers value the sanctity of human life and believe (as I do) that abortion is the unjust murder of a human being, it’s all too easy for us to caricature people of the opposing position as monsters who lack any moral conscience whatsoever. Even ca...

On January 19 thousands of churches will observe Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Since 1973 this observance has taken place annually on the Sunday closest to the anniversary of the Roe v Wade decision that legalized abortion in America. Here are 20 sermons that may help you in your preaching and Bible teaching this week. The first few deal with abortion directly. The rest deal with some aspect of the issue–how to respond, how abortion touches fundamental issues of theology, the importance of moral purity, how speak out with tenacious, winsome courage, and how to show love to those who are hurting and confused. Please feel free to use this material in any way that may be helpful in your own ministry. May God be pleased to count this as a tiny contribution on the side of life. Life: What a Be...

I remember when I graduated from seminary my dad said, “You know, you’re still in school, it’s just a different kind of school than you’ve been in the last three years. Pay attention and learn your lessons well.” Dad was right; we’re all being schooled every day. So it’s appropriate to ask in the never ending learning center that’s human life, who is schooling you? There’s never a day that passes without you being taken to school in some way. Life is really all about teaching and learning. And there’s a way in which neither stops from the first day until the last day of your life. So perhaps one of the most important diagnostic questions that each of us should be asking is this: “Do I approach life as a student?” If you’re committed to know and und...

One of my favorite childhood memories is watching the movie Star Wars in the theater in 1977. I (along with an entire nation) was awestruck. Nothing like that had ever been done before. We were all sucked into a new world of spaceships, light sabers, strange creatures, and distant galaxies. But of all the things that caught the attention of the average Star Wars viewer, no doubt the amazing technology of the future was near the top of the list. What would it be like to have robots with personalities, to hover above the ground on a “land speeder,” to play “chess” with virtual-holographic images, and to have lost limbs restored with robotic parts? Of course, in our modern day these very things have largely been realized. In fact, I noticed that when my own son watched&nbs...

Question: How can a church survive amid the rapidly changing world around us? Answer: Do what surviving churches have always done. I can just imagine that anyone reading this will have their eyebrows “high-fiving” at this point. What do you mean do what surviving churches have always done? Isn’t the definition of insanity doing the same thing but expecting different results?   The church needs to do what the church is supposed to do. It is what we should always be doing. In simple terms it is the making and training of disciples who make and train disciples. These disciples are followers of Jesus who seek to see others become followers of Jesus. The basis for this comes from many places in the Bible, not the least of which Matthew 28:18-20. “…go therefore...

Just about everyone wants to know how the sixty-six books got chosen to be in the Bible. Why these sixty-six? Why not a few more (or a few less)? Why these books and not others? In Persecution in the Early Church Herbert Workman tells the story of a Christian who was brought before the Roman governor of Sicily during the last great persecution of the church. His crime? Possessing a copy of the Gospels. The governor asked, “Where did these come from? Did you bring them from your home?” The believer replied, “I have no home, as my Lord Jesus knows.” The governor asked his prisoner to read a portion of the Gospels. He chose a portion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Next he read from Luke: “If ...

We are regularly faced with the horror and prevalence of violence against children: ·         Almost half of all sexual abuse victims are children: 15 percent of sexual assault victims are under age twelve, and 29 percent are ages twelve to seventeen. ·         Studies suggest that up to 10 million children in the U.S. witness some form of domestic violence annually and approximately half of them are also victims of domestic violence. ·         Children are also the victims of sex trafficking at horrific rates: In the U.S., the average age of entry into prostitution is between 12 and 14 years old. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that over 300,00...

As a book lover, my books are riddled with highlights and underlined sections. I dog-ear my pages. (Yes, I am one of those people!) In one book I read recently, I folded down the bottom corners of pages I wanted to come back to later so I could record my favorite quotes. The problem was, when I got to the end of the book, there were about forty folded down pages! When it comes to the story of my life though, there are few pages I want to revisit. Highlighted sections are rare. I wouldn’t consider it a good read and many chapters I’d like to just remove altogether. This time of year marks a new chapter in each of our lives. The pages are fresh and unmarked. We don’t know what lies ahead in our stories and can’t look at the back of the book to find out....

The desire and the demand to be perfect is in full-effect today. From photo-shopped models who reflect artificial and unattainable “beauty” in advertising, to the superficial but well-manicured lives of neighbors and friends, we are constantly presented with perfection as the ideal. As much as we, in our saner moments, speak against such superficiality we all feel the pressure. We sometimes even produce the pressure ourselves. This is even true in the church. We want perfection, but often settle for the appearance of it. We sometimes want others to be perfect so we aren’t burdened with their trouble and needs. We often want to appear perfect ourselves because the truth of our imperfection is painful and embarrassing. And then there are those who actually believe they have arrived, or will ...

Available Plans Help? Here’s How it Works 1. Register or Login, so we can show you a customized Bible reading progress tracking chart. 2. Choose a reading plan. 3. Start your daily Bible reading plan! 4. Record your Bible reading progress. Complete your assigned Bible reading each day. Then click the “Finished Reading” button at the top or bottom of the Bible in a Year reading page to record your completion. Carefully work your way through Isaiah in 71 days to experience the full impact of the prophet’s words. Plan Length: 71 days Estimated Completion Date: Tuesday, August 6, 2019 Read from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22 in the order in which the books of the Bible are arranged. Plan Length: 365 days Estimated Completion Date: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Read the Bible in the...