It doesn’t come as a surprise to most people that Jesus wasn’t actually born on December 25th in the year 0. But if that’s the case, when was Jesus actually born? Is this a question we can even know the answer to? To this day, Jesus’ actual date of birth remains unknown, despite numerous historic …
Not long ago, I wrote a blog post about the goal of exegesis. We talked about what biblical exegesis is and why Christians should take part in the exegetical process. There I explained that exegesis is beneficial for the church as a whole, but not necessarily for every individual Christian. But for those who are …
With November rapidly approaching, and with it one of the most divisive elections in history, I’ve experienced a lot of inner conflict. The question I’ve been asking myself is this: how active ought a Christian to be in American politics? I grew up in a culture that taught it was inappropriate for a Christian leader …
As you probably already know from your own experience, there is a big difference between reading and studying. Many factors come into play here, including the differences in time, effort, energy, and goals. Just like every other discipline, there’s also a pretty big difference between reading the Bible and studying the Bible. The biggest difference …
Anytime I tell people that I have a master’s degree in biblical exegesis, I’m often met with blank stares. After explaining that exegesis is the process of applying various disciplines to uncover the original meaning of the biblical texts, the next question I’m often asked is, “Why?” That’s the question I hope to answer in …
Many Christians grow up in a church culture that places a heavy emphasis on developing a daily Bible reading habit. However, few churches adequately train their members how to do this in practice, or even why they ought to do this in the first place. I do believe it’s important for Christians to develop a …
For anyone looking for a new Bible, there is no shortage of versions. There are tons of options across a wide spectrum of translation theory, from rigidly word-for-word to loose paraphrase. The Bible you select will largely depend on your purpose. This post is for those looking for the best translation for developing a daily …
Today I want to talk about how to use journaling Bibles to get the most out of your journaling experience. To do that, we’ll talk a bit about the differences between handwritten and digital note-taking processes, the benefits of taking notes while reading the Bible, and my own experience in Bible journaling. In the end I’ll give you my step-by-step process for using my journaling Bible in what I’ve called my “scratch journal” method.
One of the most important aspects of any Bible reading software is the notes feature, and Accordance is no different. This program allows you to create your own user notes which are attached to specific Bible verses. You can access these notes across any version of the Bible that you’re currently viewing. Since you can …
I am on a never-ending quest to find the perfect Bible study note-taking tool. I’ve tried many tools and apps, but the program that has offered the best features for the best price is Notion. It’s an incredible app, flexible enough to be used in just about any situation. And it just may be the …
The New Living Translation is actually one of my favorite Bible versions, due to its simple reading level and beautiful English composition. But there is a bit of confusion about the title. Is the NLT actually a translation? Or is it just a paraphrase? The New Living Translation is an accurate and legitimate translation from …
The Bible is one of the most important books in history. It has been read, copied, translated, and cited millions of times over in the past several thousand years. So how does such an archaic book work with our more modern copyright laws? Well, it depends on the version. Modern versions published within the last …
Rest is an important theme throughout scriptures. Especially finding rest in God. One of the most beloved scriptures is Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” But this isn’t the only time in scripture that the command is …
There is no shortage of Bible apps in the market, each one chock full of pretty much any feature you can think of. But what if you’re not looking for all the bells and whistles? My search for a simple Bible app started when my grandmother got her first iPad. I went on a search …
My very first Bible study program was BibleWorks 9, back before its untimely demise. While I still believe BibleWorks was the best value for all the features that came packed into the program, it was a beast. At that time, I was a college student with a cheap Walmart laptop, and BibleWorks was definitely not …
Trust is an important theme throughout the Bible. It is clear that a life lived to its fullest is a life lived out of trust in God. As I reflected on the importance of trust, I was curious how many times God actually says “Trust me” in the Bible, so I did a quick word …
For centuries, Jewish people have read the title “Adonai” in the place of the proper name “Yahweh” when it appears in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. Most modern translations follow this pattern and use the word “LORD” in all caps to designate the Hebrew name of God. However, not all Bibles have remained …
A major theme throughout the New Testament revolves around the power of Jesus’ name. Demons flee, the sick are healed, all of creation bows down in worship, all at the name of Jesus. From a linguistic standpoint, the name of Jesus carries a lot of deep meaning in its original culture, both in the Greek …
Billy Graham is one of the most influential evangelical preachers in modern history. He was an excellent preacher and teacher of the Bible. Songs have even been written about this man’s Bible, which raises an interesting question: which Bible did Billy Graham use? To this, there is no single answer, as Billy Graham actually used …
With the recent rise in the popularity of journaling Bibles, people are writing inside their Bibles more and more. Whether you’re an avid margin-notetaker, an underliner, a highlighter, or a doodler, you may be seeking to take your Bible journaling to the iPad and Apple Pencil. While there is no iPad Bible app that natively …
What is your earliest memory? Here’s mine. I stood in the dining room of my grandparents’ house holding a tall glass of milk when it slipped out of my fingers. Milk splattered all over the floor. Fear took hold of me as I looked to my grandfather, who had been sitting there at the table. …
The human imagination is both a blessing and a curse. When I say “imagination,” I am referring to the human capacity to create images in our minds. Not just picture images, but full sensory experiences. It is a blessing in that I can imagine a warm, freshly baked apple pie. The smell. The taste. The …
I read this morning from 2 Timothy 3. Listen to Paul’s description of the end times. 1You must understand this, that in the last days distressing times will come. 2 For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of …
I’ve been reading a memoir on the craft of writing by Stephen King called On Writing. I have enjoyed the few King books that I’ve read; he’s not, however, one of my favorite fiction authors. His dark and creepy style is entertaining, but not something I ever want to emulate in my own writing. Nonetheless, …
A large section of the Old Testament is often called the “Historical Books.” This includes Joshua, Ruth, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. In the New Testament, this typically only includes the book of Acts. However, there is a problem with the term “historical” when we turn to the Bible. History …
In the summer of 2015, I was given the opportunity to serve my church as the head of the Christian Education department. By the end of the summer, I had learned a lot. Below is a slightly adapted version of the blog post I wrote at the end of that summer. Rereading it has been …
I lied to my wife yesterday. Okay, maybe I didn’t lie. But I didn’t exactly tell her the whole truth, either. I work in the produce section at Target. While my wife and I were grocery shopping after my shift, she pointed out that there were no avocados. I told her that we hadn’t had …