The faith of Enoch (Hebrews 11:5-6)
Enoch walked into God’s presence without dying. That’s inspiring. He’s the second example of faith in Hebrews 11. Enoch’s relocation into the heavenly realm is intriguing. What did he see when he g…
10 min read
Allen Browne
The faith of Abel (Hebrews 11:4)
There is a difference in the way they approached God: Cain presented some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to God (4:3) Abel offered the fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock (4:4). No one comforts a grieving parent by saying, “Don’t worry; you’ve still got the other one.” Genesis 4:25 is not about giving the family another child to mitigate their loss. A better word When the family saw how God had given them a future rather than a revenge, that was when people began to call on the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:26) instead of calling on violence for justice (4:23-24).
7 min read
What faith expects (Hebrews 11:1–3)
Is faith still relevant today? Or does it belong to a bygone era when Christendom ruled? Many who depended on the church to sustain them are seeing their faith crumble. Does faith make sense anymor…
4 min read
Formed in God’s story: Judges – 2 Samuel
A single, congruent narrative runs through the Torah and historical books of the Old Testament. We’ve seen how:
3 min read
On the Coronation of King Charles III
The big question the coronation raised for me is this: Is Charles God’s anointed? Is that the good news the church is called to proclaim?
7 min read
Covenant or kingdom?
(Photo: Pexels) We’re God’s kingdom. That defines the relationship between heaven and earth. God is sovereign; we are his creatures in the earthly realm that is governed by heaven. Our relationship with God is that of king and kingdom. Or maybe covenant is the unifying theme? There’s no shortage of...
12 min read
Formed in God’s story: Exodus
God desires to rescue his earthly realm from the powers that oppress us because of lust for power. Pharaoh is the example in Exodus. God saves the descendants of Jacob, forming them in a nation to …
2 min read
Looking for a city (Hebrews 11:10)
(Photo: Unsplash) Why was Abraham looking for a city? He already had one. Augustine knew: our faith leads us to “the city of God.” Faith may be seeking understanding, but that’s not all. Faith seeks embodiment as a city under God. Abraham knew: By faith, Abraham … went … for...
11 min read
Formed in God’s story: Genesis
If you’ve been around church for any time, you’ve heard of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah and the flood, Abraham and Sarah, Jacob and his sons. You’ve probably heard debates about creation and e…
3 min read
When faith is a struggle (Hebrews 10:37–39)
In this series, we’ve talked about losing faith, changing faith, searching for faith, and finding faith. Habakkuk 2:4 underpins several NT discussions of faith: the just shall live by his faith (KJ…
11 min read
How the resurrection of God’s anointed changes everything (1 Corinthians 15:3–4)
“The resurrection changes everything.” That’s the message we hear as we celebrate Easter. What do we mean? Was this really the point in history when everything began to turn around, when God began …
8 min read
Approaching Easter
As we approach Easter, you may appreciate some readings on Jesus’ final week: Palm Sunday to Resurrection Sunday.
5 min read
Formed in God’s story (free course)
How well could you explain the big arc of the Bible’s narrative? Could you piece together the Old Testament story from its creative beginning in Genesis to the postexilic Persian pressure of Esther…
2 min read
Finding faith
(Photo: Unsplash) It helps to know what we’re looking for. Our friends’ dog went missing a few weeks ago. They searched all the places near their home, checked with neighbours, phoned friends, and posted pictures on social media. Several days later, one of their friends saw a ‘found dog’ notice...
7 min read
Searching for Faith
If you’re searching for faith, where do you look? Would you find God out there somewhere? Or should you look within to find the energy that permeates all things?
6 min read
How faith has changed
When Luther said we’re saved by faith alone, he did not mean we’d be alone in our faith.
7 min read
Losing faith
Losing faith is heart-breaking. Relationships rely on faith. When trust dissolves, relationship does too. That leaves us feeling isolated, and it’s hard to trust again. That’s just as true of our r…
6 min read
The Oldest Bible Fragment in Existence
One of the texts in the silver talismans is almost identical to Numbers 6:24–25, which comprises a blessing that became known in later times as one of the most sacred Jewish blessings known as the Priestly Benediction. 4 (2003), 162–163: Since their discovery in 1979, the two inscriptions etched on silver from Ketef Hinnom (excavated from an ancient burial complex in sight of the Jerusalem city walls) have been spectacularly exceptional in two ways, first, as being by any measure sensational archaeological finds — from the standpoint of biblical studies alone, one of the most significant discoveries ever made — and second, as being two of the most fiendishly difficult artifacts to document as visual images in a comprehensive fashion. In both cases — but especially in Ketef Hinnom One—the individual letter strokes, each not much wider than the width of a hair, are lightly scratched and often simply lost amid patches of corrosion and a spider’s web of cracks that seem to spring up everywhere on the delicate metallic surfaces.
4 min read
What Makes Christian Prayer Distinctive?
Across cultures and religions, people pray. How is Christian prayer different? The question helps us clarify our faith.
9 min read
What made Israel’s prayers distinctive?
People of many religions pray. What makes Judeo-Christian prayer different?
6 min read