Courageous women come fast and furious in the first chapters of Exodus. When his attempt to reduce the Hebrew population fails, the king gives all Egyptians authority to throw them into the Nile river. Then, a brave mother—Jochebed—saves her son despite the edict.
God
God Certainly Takes Note of You
Do you ever feel like God doesn't notice you or even care? How could he among all the millions of people recognize you and your needs, let alone come to your aid to help? Be assured, God does notice you. We can know this because of how he cared for his people, the Israelites.
My Mom Tells Her Story of Raising Children Overseas
15 years ago today my mother—Marjorie Jo Loomis Dubert—"graduated to glory" (1928–2010). In her remembrance, I’m sharing a talk she gave in October, 1984 to her colleagues about her experience of raising children in Papua New Guinea.
Advent 2024 Third Sunday: Truth
The trappings of the holidays try to convince us that all is well when in reality it is not. But Advent reminds us that these are but falsehoods. Truth, instead, is embodied in the baby born to Mary of Nazareth in the town of Bethlehem in Judea.
Be Confident in Prayer: Go Ahead and Ask
The apostle John speaks often about confidence, boldness, assurance. He wants believers to know that they know they are in Christ. But he also exhorts us to know that we can come to God with our requests. Because we know that we believe in Jesus and have eternal life, we can approach God confidently.
The What, Why, and How of Agape from the Apostle of Love
The apostle John is the real expert on true love. He writes about it more than any other author in the Bible. He alone records Jesus's new commandment to love one another in a new way—like Jesus loves us (John 13:34–35). In 1 John 4:7–21 alone, love (agape in Greek) is mentioned 27 times.
Love for the World vs. Love for the Father
The Apostle John tells us in his first letter, "Do not love the world" (1 Jn 2:15). One of the biblical definitions for "world" is ornament. In other words, all the shiny stuff that attracts our attention. John calls these things, the lust of the flesh, the longing of the eyes, and the pride of life.
The ‘One Anothers’ in Scripture Characterize Community
There are over fifty "one another" verses in Scripture (the exact number depends on your translation). One anothering describes how those in the kingdom of God function. It characterizes community, friendship, fellowship, koinonia. I decided to do a fresh study of these exhortations in scripture. Here are my observations.
