“wise” Col. 4:5; Eph. 5:15-16; Col. 4:7; Eph. 6:21

What do you suppose Paul means when he tells the believers in Colosse to be “wise” in how they acted toward those who were not part of the church?
I think the parallel statement in Ephesians gives some clues.  He tells the Ephesians to be “careful” as they make the most of every opportunity because the [...]

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“A prayer for a voice” Colossians 4:3; Ephesians 6:19

I have heard it said in the last few months that a primary motivation for the gift of language was the communication of the Gospel.  As we stop to think of it, we find that when God communicates with His creation it is for the purpose of revealing Himself.  If this is God’s example for [...]

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“Verbalizing Faith” Colossians 4:2-6; 1 Peter 3:8-22

I think Peter gives a great summary of the whole book of Colossians with this sentence: “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord” (1 Peter 3:15a).  If we consciously, intentionally, willfully, seriously exalt Jesus as Lord in our hearts, then we can say “He’s It!”  What in our hearts has to bend its [...]

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“Praying with a Spiritual Worldview” 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3

It is clear from Paul’s parallel statements that “wicked and evil men” are energized by “the evil one.” Our battle is not against flesh and blood but rather against the one who works evil in and through people.  Paul’s worldview included a robust understanding of  spiritual activity.
Sadly, our faith is sometimes more defined by our culture’s [...]

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“Prayer Matters” Philippians 1:18-20

Often we ask for prayer from others regarding events in lives. At the moment I rarely walk away from a conversation without asking the person to pray for and with my family regarding our future as seminary graduation is now quickly approaching. As often as we ask, you would think we are confident that the [...]

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“Waiting for Answers”

“Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed”  Romans 15:31-32.
Paul asks the Romans to pray specifically for several things.  It is [...]

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“Time is Short”

Among all of our readings about relationships this week, I was intrigued by this short paragraph:
“What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were [...]

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“It come down to Relationships”

At its heart, the Christian faith is relational.
Why?  Because God at his heart is about relationship.  He is, after all, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  There is relationship in the Trinity.  God created us in his image so that we could know him.  He incarnated himself in Jesus, who had real relationships with real people.  [...]

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“The Language of Relevance” 1 Cor. 13

I just finished reading a chapter from Kary Oberbrunner’s latest book titled “The Fine Line.”  In this chapter Kary discusses what it means to be “relevant.”  His conclusion is that the language of relevance is love.
To make his point, Kary goes to the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) and asks, “Who was relevant [...]

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