Opponents of the Bible often portray the life of faith as a set of self-imposed restrictions brought about by superstitious fear. If these opponents have left faith behind, it is common to hear them describe the move as one that brought freedom and relief. Fear is certainly a component of biblical faith; any approach to… Read More Taste And See That The Lord Is Good — Patrick Swayne
“Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has.” Is that true? I saw a statement that read something like it on a church sign once, and I was able to trace it to this quote from Martin Luther.1 While Luther’s statement in context is not really about the danger of examining or thinking out one’s… Read More The Fate of Faith’s Enemies — Patrick Swayne
In the time of Gideon, the Midianites are said to have come “as numerous as locusts” against Israel, evoking the image for near eastern readers of a locust plague (Judg. 6:5, ESV). Israel was left “overpowered” (v. 2), with “no sustenance” (v. 4), and “greatly impoverished” (v. 6). How can you beat a locust plague?… Read More Judges: Learning From Gideon — Patrick Swayne
“Look out the window,” a father instructs his son. “You see that young man down there? He’s about to commit a terrible sin.” The son looked at his father quizzically. “How do you know that he’s going to sin?” The father looked down at his son. “I know he’s going to sin because of where… Read More How To Successfully Resist Temptations — Patrick Swayne
It’s quite possible that the ground was still wet with “the blood of righteous Abel” (Matt. 23:35) when the Lord’s question, “Where is Abel your brother?” fell on Cain’s ears (Gen. 4:9). God’s mention of the fact that Abel was Cain’s brother marks the fourth time in the first nine verses of the chapter that… Read More “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” — Patrick Swayne
The building is paid off. The preacher is paid well. Additionally, he is surrounded by a supporting cast including two secretaries, an associate minister, a youth minister, and a family and involvement minister. Somehow, there is still some money left in the budget. What should be done with it? The logical conclusion is to get… Read More The Local Church and Supporting Mission Work — Patrick Swayne
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