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Articles on how to read Scripture often focus on techniques daily reading plans, interpretive methods, systems of study, etc. These can all be tremendously helpful, but what I want to write about here are not techniques that make Bible-reading effective. I want to explore attitudes that make Bible-reading fruitful. What should be the attitude of our hearts when we approa...

The next round of ACC Community Groups will take place this fall, starting the week of September 11 and running for 10 weeks. We have groups meeting on different days of the week and using a variety of formats: Zoom, in-person, and hybrid. If you have never been part of Community Group, I encourage you to give one a try. CGs are small groups that meet regularly (usually w...

The Bible teaches that every Christian is entrusted with spiritual gifts or abilities, given to them by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12:6). These gifts are given to individuals, but they are not given for individuals; they are given for the well-being of the entire church (1 Cor. 12:7). God desires for each of his children to find ways to use their gift (1 Pet. 4:10). This autum...

In the first blog in this series, I suggested that Christians must respond to news of global environmental devastation with open minds. In the second blog, I wrote that we should also react with broken hearts. In this blog, I suggest another response. When we hear news of planetary destruction, as believers in Christ, we should respond with undying hope. In 2017, Eric Ho...

A lot has changed in this world over the course of my lifetime. The yearly global production of plastics has increased by almost 600%. Over a million new synthetic chemicals have been developed. Microplastics have come to permeate oceans, rivers, and soil throughout the world. And a floating patch of garbage twice the size of Texas has formed in the Pacific Ocean. When yo...

Creation Care Part One When compared with the age of the earth, the span of any human life is microscopically brief "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (Jas. 4:14). Yet since I was born in 1962, our planet has experienced more environmental devastation than that witnessed by all the generations of our ancestors combined, since the time of Noah. I...

Psalm 23 is one of the most well-known portions of the Bible. It is often read at funeral services and other important occasions. Many people have committed the psalm to memory. You sometimes see verses from Psalm 23 displayed decoratively in people's homes or tattooed onto their arms. It is a very popular psalm. The reason Psalm 23 is so popular is because it is beautifu...

In this three-blog series, are looking at 2 Peter 1:3-11 to learn how believers can grow in their relationship with Christ. In the first blog, I focused on the power for spiritual growth. In the second blog, I wrote about the process of growth. In this blog, I'd like to explore why spiritual growth is so important. In verses 8-11, the Apostle Peter describes four benefits...

In this three-blog series, we are looking at 2 Peter 1:3-11 to explore the ways believers grow in their relationship with Christ. In the first blog, I focused on the power for spiritual growth. In this blog, I want to talk about the process of growth. Peter describes the process of growth in verses 5-7: "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodnes...

How do Christians increase in character and virtue? What makes their relationship with Christ grow in depth and authenticity? Why are some believers so fruitful in their spiritual life? How did they get that way? 2 Peter 1:3-11 is an amazingly helpful portion of scripture when it comes to answering these questions. In these verses, the Apostle Peter explains, the power, t...