partsofspeaking

 If you are new to this blog, please know that my novels are available at Amazon and on Kindle.   Sudden Future is the most recent.

 No, not at all. That debate was great.  Nikki's my woman.  Christie told it straight, but he's probably too unpopular. Pence is an honorable person but maybe too niche for a certain type of evangelical. Asa was probably the most qualified. Tim Scott was inspiring. Ron stiff, although I was for him. Burgum, professional. In another universe, he would be good.  Vivek? What a jerk. "Let me just wholesale insult all of you right off the bat." The other jerks? The audience. Sheesh. Act like grown-ups, people.

 You know, I was going to write an essay about the Barbie movie .  I am pretty close to deciding that I don't need to spend $8 or more (plus gasoline), 3 hours, and some brain cells looking at pink (only pretty in its natural settings) silliness.  Therefore, I think I will also save the time writing this trying to explain why I probably won't see it unless it comes on YouTube and I'm too tired to do anything else.  Some are talking about it like it's the most profound art of the summer and an insightful exploration of sexual power dynamics. I have enough problems already. And I watched the other half of Barbenheimer already, Oppenheimer (it is brilliant except for the unnecessary and nauseating sex, which I guess was put in there to show what a womanizer he was).  I've already spent my 3 hours on movies for the summer.  Oh, and three on Sound of Freedom, but that was obligatory. And worth it; despite the controversies (ginned up by media that will attack anything

 I published an 80-page book study, The Gospel According to Lazarus .*  That allowed me to be able to teach the Bible lesson this week on short notice.  Here's an outline, and I recommend the book. More, I recommend John 11. I have still not studied the depth of Christ's claim: I am the resurrection and the life.  John 11 In John 14:6 Jesus claimed to be the way, the truth, and the life. He didn’t just claim it, He proved it by having power over death. John 11 is the first record of this truth, the main one being His own resurrection. It is one of the most quoted and comforting chapters in the Bible and yet we don’t usually dig deep. Let’s look at it like a news story in real time. 1.      The Who a.      Lazarus. Don’t know backstory—widower? Age? Well-off? How did they know Jesus? b.      Mary; 12:3 c.       Martha: Luke 10:38-42 d.      Jesus; totally in control; v. 4 e.      Thomas: v. 16. He’s not being dramatic f.       The “Jews” – Joh

 I taught Luke 13 today. Here is the outline, very brief... I couldn't help thinking of the phrase in Zechariah 4:10:  For who has despised the day of small things ? Mustard seed. Birds.  A pinch of leaven. A woman with a spinal deformity. A barren fig tree.  A hen and chicks.  Small things are only so in size.  Outline: Luke 13: Balance of grace and response, Jews and Gentiles    When we read the gospels of Luke, Matthew, and Mark, there is an overriding theme of “to the Jew first, and also to the Gentiles.” The Jews are given the gospel first, but they are not all receptive. Jesus also came for the non-Jews, and many Jews rejected that idea strongly. They had overlooked the Old Testament teachings that salvation was for everyone and the Jews were the examples to the world, had the truth, and would produce the Messiah.     Keep that in mind during this chapter’s lesson, where Jesus gives several examples of grace, deals with misconceptions about God’s dealings with peop

 Our pastor, Curtis Hill (check this out:  https://rss.com/podcasts/dialogues-with-creators/1026000/ ) mentioned this morning about the centrality of the word "walk" in Ephesians. Ephesians 2:2 "in which you once walk ed according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,  Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called Ephesians 4:17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk , in the futility of their mind,  Ephesians 5:2   And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.  Ephesians 5:8 For you were once

I listen to podcasts. A lot of them. And I host one.  (Please check out Dialogues with Creators--sorry but I have to advertise!) This morning I was listening to the Good Faith Podcast with Curtis Chang and Russell Moore as the guest (who is often on it). Dr. Moore has a book out, so he's talking that up. (Hey, I've been there.) At one point he said that people have asked him, with all the things "going wrong" in the evangelical world, "Why are you still a Christian?" Wow. That is lodged in my brain. I am going to explore that in the next few installments here (as you notice, I've been on hiatus due to the vacation season--I've flow twice to opposites sides of the country) and the beginning of the academic year.  I do recall hearing Dr. Moore over 15 years ago speak at our church (I go to a church that gets some incredible speakers, obviously). He said in the sermon, interesting, that every day we decide to follow Christ. This is different from the vi