Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
I want to give you some thoughts to take your Bible studies even deeper. Here are three strategies to make your Bible study time stickier—sticking in your heart and your mind.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple or Spotify.
…God has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have wrought salvation for Him (Psalm 98:1 AMP).
I like The Message paraphrase of this verse too: “Sing to God a brand-new song. He’s made a world of wonders! He rolled up His sleeves, He set things right!”
This psalmist happily extols all of the ways God the Creator has revealed Himself to mankind:
He has done marvelous things
the Lord has made His salvation known
He has revealed His righteousness to the nations
the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God
let the sea resound, and everything in it
let the world praise, and all who live in it
let the rivers clap their hands
let the mountains sing together for joy
This tells me how fitting it is for us to use all of the sciences—every “ology” to declare God’s greatness: biology, astronomy, cosmology, chemistry, psychology, anthropology, and even theology. All observations point to the glory of God.
C.S. Lewis wrote,
“If I swallow the scientific cosmology as a whole (that excludes a rational, personal God), then not only can I not fit in Christianity, but I cannot even fit in science. If minds are wholly dependent on brains, and brains on biochemistry, and biochemistry (in the long run) on the meaningless flux of the atoms, I cannot understand how the thought of those minds should have any more significance than the sound of the wind in the trees. And this is to me the final test. … Christian theology can fit in science, art, morality, and the sub-Christian religions. The scientific point of view cannot fit in any of these things, not even science itself. I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen not only because I see it but because by it I see everything else.”
The apostle Paul agreed with this psalmist, telling us that creation itself is enough proof that there is a God. But God went further: He gave us His word, He gave us prophets to remind us of His word, and ultimately, He sent His Son Jesus to earth. Paul concluded that “men are without excuse—altogether without any defense or justification” for refusing to believe in God.
Don’t ever buy into the lie that science and Christianity are incompatible. All of the discoveries of science point to a Creator. We use all of these “ologies” because we never know which one may eventually get someone’s attention.
Famed scientist Sir Isaac Newton noted, “In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence.”
Let’s join our minds, our hearts, and our voices in declaring the greatness of our Creator at every opportunity we have!
Sometimes when people are reading the Gospels and the Book of Acts in the New Testament of the Bible they forget what an accurate history is presented at a pivotal time in world events. In The Dawn Of Christianity, Robert J. Hutchinson makes the history behind, surrounding, and after the biblical accounts come to life in a fresh way.
The Dawn Of Christianity tells the history surrounding Jesus of Nazareth and His followers almost in a novel-like format. Hutchinson masterfully puts together the four Gospel accounts and Luke’s history of the early church in chronological order, and then brings in archaeological, geographic, and anthropological resources like a supporting cast to the biblical account. Along the way, we are introduced to extra-biblical characters, places, and customs that add a new depth of understanding to the history presented in Scripture.
Hutchinson notes, “Recent archaeological discoveries are showing that the New Testament in general, and the Gospels in particular, are far more reliable historical sources than previous generations of New Testament experts realized.” Indeed, he makes good use of as many pertinent finds as possible to enhance his storytelling.
The Dawn Of Christianity spans the time from just before the birth of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and then tracks the spread of Christianity for about 20 years following Christ’s ascension into heaven. It’s a fascinating and enlightening story for both Bible aficionados and skeptics alike.
“‘Let him ask of God’ [James 1:5]; that is the advice of the Scripture. We are all so ready to go to books, to go to men, to go to ceremonies, to anything except to God. Man will worship God with his eyes, and his arms, and his knees, and his mouth—with anything but his heart—and we are all of us anxious, more or less, until we are renewed by grace, to get off the heart-worship of God.” —Charles Spurgeon
“Newly published research combining genetic, language, and demographic data challenges the idea of a single lineage of languages and human populations evolving out of Africa. Instead, the data supports the idea that multiple people groups have independent origins—a condition one would predict if the confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel happened as described in the Bible.” Read more in Out Of Babel.
Dr. Tim Elmore always has great insight for parents, teachers, coaches―anyone working with youth. Don’t let the title of this fantastic post fool you, because it’s not just for athletes: Helping Athletes Navigate A Short-Term, Shortcut Mindset.
This is not a quote from Teddy Roosevelt…
…but it does, I believe, capture his mindset. This is a quote from one of my favorite US presidents: “We have a given problem to solve. If we undertake the solution, there is, of course, always danger that we may not solve it aright; but to refuse to undertake the solution simply renders it certain that we cannot possibly solve it aright.” ―Theodore Roosevelt
Normally I post book reviews after I have completely read a book. But since I’m going to be working my way through The Archeological Study Bible for quite some time, I thought now was as good a time as any to share my thoughts.
I have never been able to read through the Bible in a year. I find too many fascinating subjects that keep me locked into a passage, and so it ends up putting me hopelessly behind such a rigorous reading schedule. In this study Bible, I’m finding even more fascinating reading that is making God’s Word come alive (and consequently causing me to pause even longer on certain passages)!
Since archeology and anthropology put human history in order, I am reading through the Scripture in its chronological order (i.e. not in the order the books appear in the Bible, but in the order the historical events occurred. There is a helpful chronological list on BibleGateway.com). The Archeological Study Bible is adding such a richness to the places and people and customs that are chronicled in Scripture. With each commentary, map, chart, graph, or in-depth article, I am learning about the cultures in which the people of the Bible lived, and the prevailing thoughts and customs in which biblical writers wrote the Spirit-inspired Scriptures. It is quite fascinating!
If you would like to add a new level of richness to your Bible study, this study Bible should definitely be a part of your library.
Craig T. Owens 