In April of 2019, I wrote Bite-sized Theology for Little Bits, a series of theological concepts on the lower shelf for younger readers.  My first topic? Sin. Hence, the never-to-be-a-best-seller blog title.  But God put His fingerprints all over it. He even woke me up at 2 am to work on it. So, what better…

One of the strangest scenes in Scripture occurs in the Easter story. My trusty NIV reads: When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus…

The crowd at the tomb. Not a crowd really, but a small gathering. A bevy of ladies. A group of gals. A mass of Marys. Between the Gospel writers, we compile this list:  Mary Magdalene Joanna the wife of Cuza who managed Herod’s household  Mary the mother of James and Joses  Salome the wife of…

Mary held the bottle with trembling hands. She’d planned this for weeks. Martha saw her, smiled, and nodded. Deep voices bantered over sweet figs and salty cheese. Mary slipped into the room and knelt behind Jesus. The men reclining at the table gave her little more than a nod. Until she broke the flask. The…

Flocks of lambs frolic, bleat, and bleed their way through Scripture. Old Testament fathers paint the doorframes with the blood of the first Passover lambs. Priests butcher lambs, following Moses’ instructions to the letter for sacrificial atonement. Fast forward to the New Testament. A roughly clad figure in need of a haircut points a grubby…

I love movie trailers, and as a writer, I know good ones use foreshadowing. God mastered the art of foreshadowing long ago. Let’s look at the preview of thorns He gave us in Genesis: “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will…

Told you so. Words Peter never heard. Jesus had warned him. “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31 NIV) Talk about failure. Peter had blown it. Big time.…

“ ‘What do you think?’ ‘He is worthy of death,’ they answered.” Matthew 26:66 NIV Worthy. We define it as good. Deserving of respect, praise, or attention. Having value. Estimable. Meritorious. Somehow, I don’t think that’s what the Sanhedrin meant, like Inigo Montoya to Vizzini in The Princess Bride, “You keep using that word. I do…

It’s my fault. When we had children, I prayed for strong wills. My thinking was, once they were properly trained, our kids would not waver in their allegiance to God. But, oh, the training. Isaiah 14 hosts the “I will” passage, the one where Satan declares the desires of his heart: “I will ascend to…

“Joseph, he of Arimathea, noble and honorable in rank and a respected member of the council (Sanhedrin), who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, daring the consequences, took courage and ventured to go to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.” (Mark 15:43 AMPC) Joseph of Arimathea. Unlikely character for the Easter…