Pastor – Coach – Reader – Cook
Who Should Read this Book - Christians who are uncertain how to understand the violent parts of scripture, especially the conquest of Canaan in Deuteronomy and Joshua. While definitely a good read for pastors, Rauser’s writing style is welcoming and approachable to lay Christians as well. What’s the Big Takeaway - Christian faith is rooted…
Continue reading ➞ Jesus Loves Canaanites by Randall Rauser (Review)
We who are Christian leaders and teachers need to reckon with how our teaching and words are received. A lot has been written and said about the horrific murders in Atlanta committed by a white male. We need to listen and lament and mourn. There are voices out there much better than mine who have…
Continue reading ➞ Christians: Our Words, Beliefs and Teaching Matter because People Listen
Check out the latest episode of the podcast: Conquest of the Land. You can find the podcast on Spotify, ApplePodcasts and Stitcher. Or go right to the website here: https://ancientpathwayspodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Pause: Do you think God has ever ordered the death of people? If so, do you think God still does today? Is your view of…
Continue reading ➞ The Conquest of the Land (Story of Scripture 8)
I love history. I've always enjoyed learning history. One truth of history, something you'd learn in any introduction to religion class, can be boiled down as follows: *Jesus of Nazareth died a violent death on the cross at the hands of his enemies and never led armies into battle. *Muhammad of Mecca led armies into…
I haven't written about this book since December 1! When I went back to see what I had written, I was struck by how so many of the same things are on my mind. Who is God? What is God like? Is God like Jesus? If we believe Jesus is the second person of the…
We all have notions of what God is like. These ideas and images are built from all sorts of sources - stories, pop culture, holy scriptures, teachers, friends. I imagine even atheists have some picture in their minds of what the God they do not believe in is like. In many cases, it is just…
Continue reading ➞ What God is Like (Crucifixion of the Warrior God chs. 1-2)
I've gone to church my whole life. I remember learning all those old Bible stories as a kid in Sunday school. David killing the giant Goliath with a stone flung from his slingshot. Elijah slaughtering the hundreds of prophets of Baal. Joshua marching around Jericho till the walls fell and the residents were massacred. They…
This summer I am going to dedicate each Friday to questions that students have asked me about God, faith and such. Some of these questions come were forwarded to me from Christian students or their skeptical friends. Others are questions that I have been asked in some way, shape or form many times. I do…
Continue reading ➞ Should Christians Watch Game of Thrones? (Weekly Word)
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God - Jesus Yesterday was the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia. I did not know such a day existed until I saw a well-written article by Adrian Warnock on Twitter arguing for why Christians should support such a day: I know of no…
Continue reading ➞ A Day Late…Christians Ought to Support #IDAHOT
Certainly in light of the recent decision of the PCUSA church to endorse gay marriage, a pastor whom I follow offered a blog post warning against seeking friends with the culture. This post made me think for, though I've heard the same thing before, it seemed to make some questionable, even contradictory, points. If you…
David Hershey 