An interesting question was recently posed to me: "How do we make Jesus seem more inviting to the world?"
It's a question I've asked myself quite a few times, and has been a topic of discussion between me and my husband, because we both sometimes wonder, especially in light of what we're presently reading in the Gospels - why would anyone want to come to church? Why would they want to obey the Gospel? Why would they want to be like us?
Read MoreWe'll soon finish our second week in the Gospels, closing up the accounts of Luke and Matthew. I always find the Gospels challenging because they are so tightly packed with Jesus' many different teachings that it's hard to choose a theme to dwell on and mull over, but this week Matthew 7:6 stood out to me:
"Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."
I used to find this verse very odd. It makes up its own paragraph tucked between the famous "Do not judge" and "Golden rule" passages in Matthew, toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount. On a cursory reading, it just doesn't seem to fit - this visual of tossing valuable gems at the feet of an unclean animal right in between a warning about hypocrisy and a modern-day platitude.
Read MoreWe teach disciples of Jesus how to confidently study the Bible as the story of who God is, because God's character changes everything. Join our community for free Bible study resources for beginners.
a Pacific Northwest-native writer, photographer, and Bible nerd with a lot of big ideas and a never-ending sense of homesick. Here, in words and in images, I process my inmost thoughts and invite you along on my lifelong pursuit of truth + beauty - ever inspired and sustained by the changeless nature of my beautiful God, and by the hope He offers in His Story.
