Category: Bible Study
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How Christian Suffering Is Different
My current preaching series in Romans 8 has led me to examine the theme of Christians and their suffering. Suffering for a believer is radically different than the suffering of those who are not “in Christ,” and we see this difference in three important ways: When believers suffer, they suffer “with Christ” (Romans 8:17). This…
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Five Attitudes You Need When Reading the Bible
We need God’s Word to teach, correct, and train us. But simply reading the Bible does not guarantee that we will enjoy its benefits. We must read the Bible . . . . . . in faith “For good news came to us just as to them, but the message they heard did not benefit…
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Singing the Seven “I Am” Sayings of Christ
Last month, I had the opportunity to preach at a Christian camp. Since the campers’ ages ranged from 7 to 12 years old, I wanted my sermons to be simple, memorable, and foundational. So I chose to preach on the seven “I Am” sayings of Christ in the book of John. As I prepared…
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David’s Sins in David’s Sons
Is it hard to lead others when we lack integrity ourselves? You bet it is. We see this in the life of King David. In 2 Samuel 14, we start to see David’s kingdom unraveling—and it all started with the loose thread of his sexual lust. His unbridled passions are copied by his son Amnon,…
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The Gospel According to Ecclesiastes
Seeing Christ in the Old Testament is like looking at a stereogram. When you stare at the picture just the right way, the 3D image pops up. You realize that 3D image was there all along. It was put there on purpose. It is the true subject of the picture. Likewise, Christ is the true…
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Fallen Kings
Mathematician and Christian apologist Blaise Pascal compares the human condition to the misery of a fallen king. If he had never been a king, he would not think that his now-humble life is miserable. (For a helpful explanation of this idea, see Douglas Groothuis’s article here). This analogy resonates with the Bible’s teaching that 1)…
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Absurdity or Purpose?
Albert Camus (1913-1960), author, journalist, and philosopher wrote: “Basically, at the very bottom of life, which seduces us all, there is only absurdity, and more absurdity. And maybe that’s what gives us our joy for living, because the only thing that can defeat absurdity is lucidity.” These words come close to expressing the theme we…
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God Will Bring Everything Into Judgment
The aim of Solomon’s quest—to find that comprehensive, personally-satisfying, perspective from which life will make complete sense—could never be achieved. And because eternity is “in our heart,” we can’t stop searching. This is why Solomon calls this search a “sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith” (1:13; also…
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Reading the Book of Ecclesiastes
The journey toward completing my dissertation on the apologetic approach of Blaise Pascal has often reminded me of the book of Ecclesiastes. There are so many similarities between Pascal’s apologetics and Solomon’s reflection on the vanity of life without God. Both reflect on our bewildering sinful human nature. Both compellingly urge us to turn to…
Jonathan M. Threlfall 