In today’s Bible reading*, James warns his readers against being an arsonist by not controlling their tongues. He argues that although it’s very small, the tongue can create a great deal of damage. Perhaps James has Proverbs 18:21 in mind. Death and life are in the power of the tongue,and those who love it will…
I’m glad the Navigators (the organization that designed this year’s Daily Bible Reading Plan) placed the readings from James to follow Galatians. Some — even the Reformer Martin Luther — don’t like James. But this is a good way to show the balance between faith and good deeds. In today’s Bible reading*, James concludes the…
My dad grew up on a farm in eastern North Carolina. Each year my grandfather and his sons would prepare the fields for harvest by planting whatever they felt they needed to grow that year. They had to be careful not to grow the same thing in the same field year after year; instead, they…
In today’s Bible reading*, Paul talks about rebuking Cephas (Peter) for his hypocrisy. It’s very appropriate for Paul to bring this out in light of the heresy of the Galatians. They had deserted the real Gospel for a false gospel (Galatians 1:6–7) that said if you want to be a good Christian, you have to…
Today’s Bible reading* is in direct contrast to the message of the Prosperity Gospel. The Prosperity Gospel can be summed up with, “Name it. Claim it. Blab it. Grab it. Believe it. Achieve it and receive it. Or live in doubt and do without.” “God wants you to live a prosperous, healthy, and wealthy life.”…
In addition to reviewing the once-for-all sacrifice Jesus gave for our atonement, today’s Bible reading includes one of the most compelling arguments for being regularly involved in a local church. As a pastor, I often hear excuses from people who have no interest in going to church. One of the most popular arguments is that…
