This is the last installment of a series of posts exploring the Book of Hosea. Check out the first five posts here. It hasn’t been easy studying this book. In fact, it’s been downright gut-wrenching. It’s not easy to come face-to-face with your sin, especially when you are a “professional Christian” (pastor). Layered deep beneath [...]
Writing Archive
Hosea Chronicles: Part 5
This is the fifth installment of a series of posts exploring the Book of Hosea. Check out the first four posts here. One of the most important elements of this story is the theme of significance. More specifically, its what (or who) we find our significance in. Gomer is the poster child for people who [...]
Hosea Chronicles: Part 4
This is the fourth installment of a series of posts exploring the Book of Hosea. Check out the first three posts here. The Lord purchased us. In 2013, we learn this, most likely, in the New Testament first. We are taught verses such as the following. “Or do you not know that your body is [...]
Hosea Chronicles: Part 3
This is the third installment of a series of posts exploring the Book of Hosea. Check out the first two posts here. It’s entirely possible for God to let you run into trouble. It happened all the time in Scripture. I think of Noah, who was laughed at for decades as he built the ark. [...]
Hosea Chronicles: Part 2
This is the second installment of a series of posts exploring the Book of Hosea. Check out the first post here. When you encounter tough passages in the Bible, it can hit you impact you in different ways. In some cases, this is why a lot of my non-Christian friends end up that way. They [...]
Hosea Chronicles: Part 1
This morning, we spent some time in Hosea, contrasting the faithfulness of God and the unfaithfulness of His people. It has been a humbling process studying the first few chapters in Hosea, as God calls him to marry a whore. In essence God was asking Hosea to speak to a generation using his own life [...]
Don’t Quit After One Bad Day
If you’ve been in ministry longer than six months, you know that a bad day can tank your confidence and make you question your call. You know that one unfortunate event can distract you completely and that one piece of criticism can drain you until you start to believe the lie that you aren’t worth [...]
Take Heart. God Is With You.
Psalm 91 reads: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’ For He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. He [...]
What You Do vs. Who You Are
In most conversations, the first thing you start with is identification: “What’s your name? What do you do?” Be careful not to confuse the two. Your identity is not found in what you do! To get a glimpse of this concept in the Bible, let’s look to Peter. First, Jesus met Peter at the sea [...]
When Paul Prays
A friend of mine (short plug: my friend, Sean Michel, who was on American Idol, makes some pretty rockin’ music with his band. Go check them out!) stopped by my office one day a few weeks ago to talk an idea he had for our student ministry. He said that he was really encouraged by [...]