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Exciting Announcement
My friend and fellow pastor, Anthony Cottrell, asked me to co-host his monthly podcast, Theologizing Life with Anthony Cottrell. This podcast engages with questions and ideas relating to how our view of God influences and shapes our everyday lives. Anthony, in addition to being a close friend of mine and fellow theology geek, is the…
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Student Ministry’s (Unnecessary) War Against Youth Sports
Sports have always been an enormous part of my life. When I look back on the fond memories I had when I was a kid, my mind almost always jumps to the cool fall Saturday mornings at Four Seasons Park in Plainfield, Illinois. I played football and my sister was a cheerleader. My games usually…
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The Divine Pursuit: Seeking Love and Holiness in the Song of Songs (Part 8)
Another Frantic Search (Song 5:2-8) Song 5:2-8 begins a lengthy poem which bookends what many scholars understand to be a distinct poetic unit beginning with Song 3:1-5 and ending with 6:3. There are obvious similarities between the poems in 3:1-5 and 5:2-8, but more notable are the contrasts. Here’s what I mean: 3:1-5 5:2-8 1.…
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Study Guide: The Prophecies of Zechariah. Chapter 4.
The Olive Trees and the Lampstand (Zechariah 4:1-14) Zechariah is confronted with a fourth vision of a golden lampstand, topped with a bowl and flanked by olive trees on its left and right. The lampstand was a ritual object that adorned both the tabernacle and the former Temple of Solomon. One of the duties of…
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Study Guide: The Prophecies of Zechariah. Chapter 3.
Joshua the High Priest and the Branch (Zechariah 3:1-10) Zechariah’s third vision takes place in a heavenly courtroom, of sorts. The High Priest, Joshua (Haggai 1:1), has been brought before the Lord by Satan (Heb. ha satan; literally, “the accuser”). Satan is the adversary of God’s people, bringing their sin and uncleanliness before God and…
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Study Guide: The Prophecies of Zechariah. Chapter 2.
The Lord returns to Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:1-5) Zechariah is shown a third vision, this time of a man with a measuring line. The man tells Zechariah that he is off to measure the width and length of Jerusalem so that it may be rebuilt to its original dimensions. Suddenly, Zechariah’s angelic interpreter is met by…
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Study Guide: The Prophecies of Zechariah. Chapter 1.
A Call to Renewal (Zechariah 1:1-6) As Israel continues to pick up the scattered pieces of their homeland, God speaks through his prophet Zechariah and invites the nation to renew their covenant vows to him. He makes it clear that the exile was a direct result of the sins of their ancestors, but the return…
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Study Guide: The Prophecies of Zechariah. Part 1 (Introduction)
Historical Context In 587 B.C., the prophet Jeremiah was imprisoned in the palace of Zedekiah in Jerusalem. The city had been under siege by the Babylonian army for a year, and the Babylonian hordes were only moments away from overwhelming the city’s defenses, capturing Jerusalem, and shipping her inhabitants off to exile in Babylon. The…
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The Divine Pursuit: Seeking Love and Holiness in the Song of Songs (Part 7)
Together Again (Song 4:1-5:1) I took a 6-month hiatus from the Song of Songs, but, fear not, I have returned. Last December, I walked through Song 3:6-11, which depicts a bride and her groom excitedly approaching one another on their wedding day. I suggested that the beautiful moment of unity shared between the two lovers…
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Don’t Call it Burnout. Pastors Get Depressed, Too
Cover Photo: Pinterest Sets Several Mental Health Awareness Month Initiatives (adweek.com) According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, major depressive disorder affects as many as 16 million people a year in the United States. That statistic is not exclusive to those who suffer from chronic depression; it includes adults that have reported suffering…
Kingdom Ethos 