“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34, 35). Although familiar with Jesus’ command, I balked when it applied to a sister in Christ. Elaine and I […]

The post The Bouquet appeared first on Bible Advocate.

It is fitting to end our Focus on the Faithful series with John, the beloved disciple and author of the last book of the Bible. In the stories of the Gospels and Acts, we usually find John in Peter’s shadow. But as a writer, only Paul was more prolific. And as for distinctiveness (his Gospel, […]

The post Focus on the Faithful — John appeared first on Bible Advocate.

On the outside, I am probably what many would deem an average millennial youth — aiming to get established into my career and learning to navigate the nuances of adulthood. However, those in my inner circle would attest that I have made some different choices from most youths around me. For one, I am 27 […]

The post Faithful in the Wait appeared first on Bible Advocate.

Esther emerges as one of the greatest leaders of God’s people, exercising leadership on a greater geographical scale other biblical leaders.

The post The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Leadership Lessons from Esther appeared first on Bible Advocate.

Does being made righteous refer to a status or a process? The short answer is both. Let’s take a closer look at this great word, starting with its background in the Old Testament.  In both Hebrew and Greek, the basic meaning of righteousness is “conformity to a norm.” In its biblical context, the norm that […]

The post Is Righteousness a status or process? appeared first on Bible Advocate.

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” We know this from experience. In fact, just reading this saying brings images to mind. For some it is a newborn baby, for others the Twin Towers on 9/11. For me, a picture comes to mind from a courtroom. In 1995 former professional football player O. J. Simpson […]

The post A Picture’s Worth appeared first on Bible Advocate.

The Church and Our Duty As followers of Christ, we are commanded to be holy. Part of living a holy life includes engaging in the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading and study, prayer, fasting, worship, and obedience to God. Another part of living a holy life includes how we treat others. I will explore the […]

The post The Church and Our Duty appeared first on Bible Advocate.

When I was a child, my family would visit my grandparents on Sundays at their home. As we departed in the evening, my grandfather would give me a bear hug and instruct me to “be a good listener” in school. I heard this admonition hundreds of times over the years. The importance of listening and […]

The post Teachable Moments appeared first on Bible Advocate.

In the last issue of the Bible Advocate I began a series of six articles exploring 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 with a question: “What motivates you?” That article discussed the power of Christ’s love that compels us, and concluded with a call for us to join God’s redemptive mission in the world.   Cosmic courtroom However, […]

The post Evidence appeared first on Bible Advocate.

What compels you? What drives you to do what you do? What motivates you to act? These questions arise whenever I read 2 Corinthians 5. This passage so captivates me that I plan to write six articles on it in this year’s Bible Advocate. It’s compelling, not the least because it begins with Paul saying […]

The post Compelled appeared first on Bible Advocate.

“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”[1] Just as many Americans answered John F. Kennedy’s call to duty for their country, pastors are answering God’s call to duty for the Body of Christ. Sadly, many pastors find their congregations expect their pastor […]

The post What Is a Pastor’s God-given Duty? appeared first on Bible Advocate.

The story is told of a busy father who wanted to occupy his toddler so the boy wouldn’t distract him. The father tore a world map into several pieces and sent the little boy to his room to put it back together, instructing him not to return until the job was done. Surprised by his […]

The post Skin and Bones Discipleship appeared first on Bible Advocate.