So we have a major problem, brothers and sisters: as human beings we love ourselves more than we love anyone or anything else. This self-love lies at the root of everything that has gone wrong in our lives, in our relationships, in our societies. Self-love lies at the root of all shame and fear in […]
In the beginning, God planted a garden in the east, in Eden. And this garden was a mountain paradise where the rivers flowed cool and clear, where fruit trees of every kind grow easily. Really, God designed this garden to be a living temple, where God’s children — the man and the woman — would […]
Last week we left the ancient people of Israel in the middle of an existential crisis. They have their freedom, but they have no idea what to do with it. They have been rescued by a God, but they don’t know who he is or what he wants from them. They have been promised a […]
After Moses led the people of Israel out of their slavery in Egypt, he brought them to Mount Sinai in Arabia, where they camped for a little over a year. During that first year of their Exodus, Moses built a tabernacle — a special tent, a mobile temple — according to very specific measurements, designed […]
About 3500 years ago, a whole nation of slaves — about 2 million people — got up in the middle of the night and escaped to freedom. They walked away eastward, into the deserts of Arabia. Men, women, children, old people: everyone, carrying everything they owned on their backs. They were led by a man […]
Very early on in the Book of Genesis we are told about a great conquering king named Nimrod, who was famous for his mastery of men and beasts, and famous for the cities he founded. And his most famous city was built on a plain in the land of Shinar, in what is today called […]
Peter closes his letters with a review and a summary: make every effort to be on your guard by making every effort to grow. Peter zooms back out to remind his friends of the big picture: no matter how dark things get, God’s plan is proceeding exactly as it should. Peter warns his friends not […]