Category: Bible Studies

Palm Sunday: The King We Need

by Andy Springer | Jesus Christ, Kingdom of God, Relationship with Christ, God, Spirit, zRecentA

8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the...

“Woe to those who make unjust laws.” – Isaiah

by Larry | Isaiah & Micah, Justice, z, zRecentA

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of...

Are You One of Those Whom Jesus Favors? Who IS He Willing to Teach and Help? (Matthew 11)

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Relationship with Christ, God, Spirit, z, zRecentA

Jesus is Different. The Christ is NOT an arbitrary, or unaccountable, or irrational chooser...

It’s Not Foreigners, Atheists and Gays Who Must Turn! 2 Chronicles 7:14

by Larry | Bible Studies, Religious Right, z, zRecentB

In this Scripture it’s NOT the foreigners and unbelievers who have to “turn”! WHO ARE WE TALKING...

NO RELIGIOUS BULLIES. We Must “Lift Our VOICES” – While We Lay Down Our SWORDS.

by Larry | Isaiah & Micah, Non-Violence - Courtesy, Religious Right, Separation of Church & State, zRecentB

“Declare to my people … their sins.” Jesus, Isaiah, the prophets, the apostles...

7 Signs of a Healthy, Christ-Following Christian Faith

by Larry | Bible Studies, Religion - Good And Bad, Spiritual Practice, zFeatB, zRecentB

Unhealthy, dangerous forms of “Christianity” seem epidemic today. Are there healthy forms? Here,...

6 Lessons from New Testament Church Life: Diversity! & Jesus – Justice, Mercy, etc. – ACTS

by Larry | Bible Studies, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Core of Activism

This short list is a result of a number of hours I spent in the New Testament’s “Acts of the...

Advent: Christ Has Come. So, What Do We Have TO DO?

by Larry | Holidays, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Practice, zFeatB

CHRIST HAS COME. SO WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO? 1. STAND ALONE “Peter … asked, ‘Lord, what about...

We Must Speak Up. “Lift your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their sins.”

by Larry | Fear - Courage, Isaiah & Micah, Religious Right, Spiritual Core of Activism

God requires it of the prophet. He MUST speak out about what he sees going on. Shout it aloud, do...

Stand With Israel? Not When Israel Stands Against God.

by Larry | Isaiah & Micah, Israel Palestine

We are often told we must love Israel – which is true – we are to love all peoples....

Jesus Pushes Us to Judge Our OWN Lives – Not Other People’s

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Religious Right, zFeatC

Jesus was a highly respected teacher of morality and of the spiritual life. So, logically...

Let’s Build The Kingdom. Jesus said, “Seek Ye First The Kingdom of God.”

by Larry | Kingdom of God, Spiritual Practice, Spiritual Tune-up, z, zFeatC

“Over and against these senseless modern myths … there is the “myth” of...

Spiritual Tune-up: Don’t Ignore JESUS

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Religious Right, Spiritual Tune-up

There is absolutely nothing in what Jesus himself or his early followers taught that...

The Moral Priorities of Jesus – What Did Jesus Teach?

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Progressive Christians, Relationship with Christ, God, Spirit, Spiritual Core of Activism, zFeatB

He said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’ but do not do what I say?” Maybe...

New American Bad Bible – Not What Jesus Wants (Pt-2)

by Larry | Bible Studies, Jesus Christ, Religious Right

These sayings may have a Biblical sound to them. But they are not Biblical. They set aside the...

New American Bad Bible – Not What Jesus Wants (Pt-1)

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Manipulation - Lies - Fraud - Fear, Religious Right

These sayings may have a Biblical sound to them. But they are not Biblical. Setting aside the...

Kingdom Manifesto – Sermon on the Mount Summarized

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Kingdom of God, Progressive Christians, Spiritual Practice

It might be a good project for each of us – to try to summarize the Sermon on the Mount...

Is Trump a Christian? What Does It MEAN to Believe in Christ?

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Spiritual Practice, zFeatC

There was some excitement among certain Republican Christians when Dobson said Trump had become a...

Jesus and Racism – Samaritan Lives Matter – Black Lives Matter

by Larry | Bible Studies, Civil Rights - Minorities - Racism, Jesus Christ, zFeatA

Samaritans in Jesus’ day were both religiously and racially despised. The phrase...

Turn the Other Cheek MEANS Resist Them Non-Violently

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Non-Violence - Courtesy, Progressive Christians, z, zFeatB

I. THE PROBLEM: Jesus says to turn the other cheek. [See a summary of this post.] Is it ever...

Are Economic Matters a Moral Issue? Isaiah Thinks So.

by Larry | Economic Justice - Greed, Isaiah & Micah, zFeatB

In spite of Isaiah, and other Bible sources, we’ve all heard this – something like: I. It...

NE Gov Candidate – "Do Justice, Love Mercy"

by Larry | Good Government, Isaiah & Micah, Justice, Local

Chuck Hassebrook (D-NE Governor candidate) closed out his campaign last night by quoting Micah...

Christ Asks Us to Choose His Way, Not Caesar’s.

by Larry | Kingdom of God, Religion - Good And Bad

. . . switch sides from Caesar’s way to Jesus’ way – before it is too late.* – Brian McLaren “Caesar’s way” stands for secular, temporal government or authority. The usage derives from Jesus’ saying, when asked about...

What If Christians Are Persecuted Here? Advice from the Bible.

by Larry | Bible Studies, Non-Violence - Courtesy, Persecution, Religious Right

Some American Christians worry that we are being persecuted and that our freedom of religion is...

People Who Take the Bible Seriously are America’s Problem & Blessing (with 2 Rules of Interpretation)

by Larry | Bible Studies, Religious Right

Frankie Schaeffer grew up in modern, politically radical, Americanized “Christianity”....

“Emergent Evangelical” – Can I Be Both?

by Larry | Bible Studies, Progressive Christians, Religion - Good And Bad, Spiritual Practice

A friend recently asked what it means that I use “emergent evangelical” as my religious affiliation on FaceBook. So here’s a look at what the phrase means to me. I. “Evangelicals” Today...

Why I Pay Priority Attention to Jesus Christ

by Larry | Jesus Christ, zFeatA

WHY? Why should we focus any more on Jesus Christ than on Abraham or Moses or Isaiah? Or on the...

Looking for Integrity, Humility, Decency – Psalm 101

by Larry | Bible Studies, Machiavelli - Domination - Contempt

4 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil. 5 Whoever slanders his neighbor… , him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure. 6 My...

Worship of Idols (like Greed) is Deadly

by Larry | Bible Studies, Economic Justice - Greed

From an AP article at the Atlanta Journal Constitution site, on Friday October 24, 2008: Wall Street joined stock markets around the world in a huge selloff Friday, sending major market indexes to their lowest levels in more...

And Now? Hard Times and Good News.

by Larry | Bible Studies, Fear - Courage

Bad News Warren Buffett, the widely respected Omaha multi-billionaire, used the phrase “Pearl Harbor” to describe the significance of our nation’s current economic crisis, a phrase he has never before used about the...

“The Path of Christ …” to the Power of God

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Spiritual Practice

The Lamb that was slain is worthy to receive power. The path of Christ, the political commitment to – truth, – servanthood, – proclamation, and – suffering love, is despite appearances, the channel of the...

6 of My Favorite Scriptures, with Questions: A Guided Reading (Meditation)

by Larry | Bible Studies

Daily Bible Readings, with Questions (These are handed out in the bulletin on Sunday mornings; I select the readings to follow up on the sermon. The questions are just to help us get into each selection. This is the list from...

Jesus and Evil People – Strong Resistance while being Non-Violent

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Non-Violence - Courtesy, Spiritual Core of Activism

Jesus did NOT tell his oppressed hearers not to resist evil. That would have been absurd. His entire ministry is utterly at odds with such a preposterous idea. – Walter Wink I. THE PROBLEM: Jesus said to “turn the...

What JESUS Says About the People We Tend to Turn Away From

by Larry | Jesus Christ

Words of Jesus, who is called “Christ.” It is from his title that we derive the word “Christian” (from Matthew 25:34-46) “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are...

Economic Judgment Coming, or Repentance – or Both?

by Larry | Isaiah & Micah, Politics

The prior post (“Twillight of the Gods – Greed and Money“) mentioned increasing economic distress throughout our nation. This is for real. I expect it will continue, though the extent to which it spreads and...

What Jesus Emphasized Is Not What Churches Like to Emphasize

by Larry | Bible Studies, Jesus Christ, Justice, Science & Philosophy

John Howard Yoder vigorously believes that Jesus’ teaching was very practical and very this-worldly. The spiritual, metaphysical, theological, religious meaning of his life and teaching – in Jesus’ mind and in...

Jesus as V.P? Is this funny, sad, wise … ?

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Politics

Jordan Zakarin wrote a good spoof news article entitled Jesus Demures on Obama VP Talk. Obama is pretty attractive to a lot of Americans as a possible national leader, so… “[Jesus is] concerned with a number of...

Prayer: Paying Personal Attention to God

by Larry | Bible Studies, Bookish Stuff

At a pastors’ seminar recently I bought two books on prayer. Another pastor asked me to give him my reaction to one of them when I’d read it, so here goes. (I’ll review the other one in a few days.) First I got...

Religion in Government 20 Years Ago

by Larry | Bible Studies, Religion - Good And Bad

When I spend 10 minutes stretching my back on my inversion table I often read poetry or old cartoon books. This is from Tom Toles’ Mr. Gazoo: A Cartoon History of the Reagan Era, 1987. Ronald Reagan (runninng up the steps...

Isaiah, with Question: “Where Will You Leave Your Riches?”

by Larry | Isaiah & Micah

Isaiah 10:1-3 (emphasis added) Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and...

“Thy Kingdom Come” – What’s That Like?

by Larry | Kingdom of God, Spiritual Core of Activism

What does the Kingdom of God look like? Some of us pray every Sunday for it to come – “Thy Kingdom come.” What do we think we’ll be seeing when it really is coming? Andre Trocme says this about it: Jesus...

Andre Trocme Sees A Non-Sectarian Jesus

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Progressive Christians

Andre Trocme was a pastor in Nazi-occupied France. He and his small town risked their lives – and some lost their lives – to save many hundreds of Jews from the Nazis. He wrote this in a book about Jesus published a...

A Christmas Kind of Issue?

by Larry | Bookish Stuff, Holidays, Jesus Christ

Does this count as a Christmas thought? I’m going to quote John Ruskin again, from his 4 essays titled as a group “Unto This Last.” He is talking about the great value of justice. The mistake of the best men...

Six Secrets of Success

by Larry | Jesus Christ

Some of us spent some time discussing John 15 Sunday morning. In the blockquote are some excerpts from the chapter, to refresh our memories. Then there are six “simple” principles that stand out to me from the...

A Prayer About Intimacy, Beauty, and Spiritual Reality

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Prayer & Meditation, Spiritual Practice

Jesus’ prayer in John 17 is unusual – for it’s length and for its “flavor.” It is relatively long. Actually, it’s short by the standards of some preachers, but it’s long by New Testament...

Jesus – A Savior AND A Man Worth Learning

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Spiritual Core of Activism

Last night I was doing a little review-browsing in a book I used a few years ago – a text for a “Life and Teachings of Jesus” class at the community college. The book is Living Jesus: Learning the Heart of the...

“Jesus Rejected Hatred” for Good Reason – Howard Thurman

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Non-Violence - Courtesy, Spiritual Core of Activism

And while we are talking about the GIGO effects of listening to hate-talk (prior post), here’s Howard Thurman (Jesus and the Disinherited, p 88) Hatred is death to the spirit and disintegration of ethical and moral values....

Who Would Jesus Torture?

by Larry | Jesus Christ, Prisons - Torture - Legal System

I’m just wondering. Who would JESUS torture? I mean the real Jesus of the Gospels, not the Jesus of “Left Behind” or any other fiction, nor the Jesus of Pat Robertson or any other compromised...

It Seems “The Unpardonable Sin” Is Stalking the Christian Right

by Larry | Bible Studies, Religious Right, Truth and Reconciliation

My wife heard on the radio the other day that resistance to Bush is clearly “Satanic.” “Christian” radio is promoting some strange ideas, but this is one in particular to be very wary of. We do need to...

Old Testament Philosophy – From Erich Fromm on “1984”

by Larry | Bible Studies

I wonder how this strikes you. The Old Testament philosophy of history assumes that man grows and unfolds in history and eventually becomes what he potentially is. It assumes that he develops his powers of reason and love fully,...

Category – Bible Studies

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