Roger Severino - Where Faith Meets Life

In the Fullness of Time, God Sent His Son

December 11, 2017

Did you ever wonder about the timing of Jesus’ birth? Was there any particular reason He was born around 2,000 years ago? Why at that time, and not earlier? Or after? Ultimately, only God knows the answer to those questions. But that hasn’t stopped Christians from speculating.

As Paul tells us in Galatians 4:4, “When the time came to completion, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law.” What made that specific time “complete” for the sending of God’s Son? The promises to Israel of Messiah’s coming had been around for centuries. With each generation, there was...more

HOW IS THE BIBLE PUT TOGETHER?

November 14, 2017

Picture Credit: http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2015/03/LIST-6-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-dead-sea-scrolls-E.jpeg When we open the Bible, what do we find? We soon discover that this larger book is a compilation of multiple books arranged in two broad categories that are referred to as the Old and New Testaments. Our Christian Old Testament contains the same content as the Hebrew Bible, or the Jewish Scriptures, except the arrangement is different. The Old Testament begins with creation in the...more

WHO WROTE THE BIBLE?

November 3, 2017

One of the first things we want to know about any good book is “Who is the author?” Have you ever asked that question about the Bible? Though Christians throughout the ages have affirmed that there is a divine inspiration of the Bible, there has always been a recognition that God spoke through human authors to write these various books. I use the word “books” intentionally, because the Bible...more

REFLECTIONS ON HUMILITY FROM WINSTON CHURCHILL, JIM COLLINS, C.S. LEWIS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST

September 11, 2017

Winston Churchill described political rival, Clement Attlee, as “a modest man, who has much to be modest about.” No one mistook that for a compliment. He also said Attlee was a “sheep in sheep’s clothing.” Again, “an empty taxi arrived at 10 Downing Street, and when the door was open, Attlee got out.” Is modesty proof of a weak leader? Is humility a virtue even to be desired? Do...more

Ideas for a Personal Spiritual Retreat and Soul Care Day

August 25, 2017

One of the things I love about serving at our church is that there is an intentional emphasis on soul care and the need for ministers (and all believers) to care for their souls. In fact, one of the gifts the church gives our ministers is a monthly spiritual retreat day for prayer, study, and spiritual refreshment. Our pastor often reminds us that ministry should be out of overflow,...more

How Do I Read and Teach the Grand Story of Scripture?

August 18, 2017

Followers of Jesus cannot read the Bible without understanding that he is the climax of the Bible’s Story and that the Old Testament points to and anticipates him as the fulfillment of all the types and promises of Scripture. Jesus himself instructed us to read the Bible using a Christ-centered approach. Consider these passages: John 5:39: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal...more

HOW TO READ AND TEACH THE PROPHETIC LITERATURE OF SCRIPTURE

August 14, 2017

There are prophets throughout the Old Testament, often found in the narrative accounts, such as Elijah and Elisha. The emphasis here, however, is in the prophetic books from Isaiah—Malachi, books at the end of the Old Testament. Prophecy is often understood as something that predicts the future. Though these elements can certainly be found in the prophetic books, it’s been said that there is more “forthtelling” in the prophets...more

HOW TO READ AND TEACH THE WISDOM LITERATURE OF SCRIPTURE

August 11, 2017

The wisdom genre of the Bible may best be seen in the books of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes. Each of these teach a perspective on how to live life, and particularly in relationship to God. The beauty of these three books is that they complement one another and allow for the multi-faceted perspectives we need on wisdom. The Book of Proverbs contain many short, pithy statements that provide skills...more

HOW TO READ AND TEACH THE “POETRY” PARTS OF SCRIPTURE

August 7, 2017

Most of the Bible’s poetic books and passages are in the Old Testament. Hebrew poetry appears frequently in the Old Testament. The Book of Psalms may be the best example of this, though poetry is sprinkled throughout the Old Testament, at times thrown in among the books that are otherwise characterized by narrative or prophecy, for example. Perhaps the most obvious characteristic of poetry is its use of figurative...more

HOW TO READ AND TEACH THE NARRATIVE PARTS OF SCRIPTURE

August 4, 2017

PART 2 Last time we emphasized the importance of context when reading or teaching narrative. This includes the literary context, the historical context, the cultural context and the geographical context. Another important element in studying narrative is to distinguish between what is descriptive and prescriptive. Descriptive means the biblical author is merely describing what took place, with no value judgment one way or the other. When the author is...more