Deeper Bible Studies Blog

Have you ever heard someone say, “There are NO coincidences or there are no accidents“? You might hear this in reference to someone you sat next to at a bible study who later becomes an instrumental part of your life. Or it might be the person who “happened” to check you out at the grocery store, that you felt moved to say a kind word to and later find that it kept her from taking her own life like she had planned. It might take the form of something like “The person you married was no coincidence” or “that person who happened to be driving by…and stopped when you crashed your car…and ended up saving your life”…was no coincidence.

We all here these comments from time to time. The question is “Do you believe it?“  Are people just wishful thinkers, or is God really so intimately involved in our daily lives that he orchestrate events on our behalf?

In John Ortberg’s book “The Life You Always Wanted”, he posed a similar question that resonated with me: Why are people ok about praying TO God for everything…but seem skeptical and call people crazy when they suggest that He talked back?…as if God only hears and never speaks! Or in our case…why are they surprised when He responds through another person or event in our life?

I’m hear to tell you that God does speak to us, and I firmly believe that there are no coincidences. We don’t always recognize them at the time, but hindsight has a way of revealing them to us. I believe God CAN speak to us audibly (although it’s arguably more rare…and apparently not His preferred communication style). More often than not He speaks to us through other people, animals, events (coincidences), His Bible, a sunrise, the look  on the face of a small child, an innocent and unknowing question that strikes deep into our heart to address an issue we were struggling with, etc…

I have many stories of how God orchestrates “coincidences” to share over the coming months. However, I also want to hear your stories. If you have a story to share, please email it to brad AT deeperbiblestudies DOT com.

Filed under: General | No Comments »

As a former Atheist, I can appreciate the attempt to logically explain everything. However, where Christians excel is in our ability to look at something very simple and come to the logical conclusion… “That’s GOD!”

Many people come to such an epiphany when camping out in nature… and experiencing God’s creation outside of the man-made cities we all live in. They look at the moon, and stars and heavens and just stare in awe of God’s majesty.

So, here is a simple argument for the existence of God…that even an Atheist would have difficulty explaining with a non-God answer:

1) Look around you for a moment. Can you identify anything that is man-made…something that obviously God didn’t make? Take that house for example. Did God build it? No…an architect and a construction crew did right? How about that car? The good folks at Ford or Chevy built it right? Ok…here’s a tough one…how about those sneakers you are wearing? Did God make them, or did Nike make them? OK…it’s pretty easy to identify things that are man made right? We just KNOW by looking at them, and from our experiences during our lives we just KNOW that man made them.

2) Now, look down at the ground. Did man make the dirt? No. Now look at the sky. Did man make the sun, the moon, and the stars? No. Why do we just KNOW that man didn’t make them? Why do we not need a scientific method to prove that man did NOT make those things? Maybe it’s the good old common sense and experience that helped us know that our car was made by man. It’s just plain as day…man did NOT make the heavens and the earth.

Now, if we didn’t know for a fact that man made the house, the car, and the sneakers…we would probably start looking for a creator and eventually find someone who could be caught in the act of creating them. But we don’t need to….we just know.

Well, the same is true for the heavens and the earth. Man is simply not big enough, powerful enough, or resourceful enough to create ANY of it. But if man didn’t create them…then who/what did? Where did it all come from?

Now, some might say that the Big Bang created it all. Let’s assume the Big Bang theory is true. Did man create the Big Bang? I know that’s a tough one…but again, NO. So who/what did? What caused the Big Bang? Just keep going back far enough in time, and guess what? Man still didn’t have a finger in creating it. It’s 100% God. God did it…all of it. And then God created us humans and absurdly some of us say… “there is no God.” How laughable.

Filed under: General | No Comments »

We’ve written several articles on Godly leadership because we feel our churches really need spiritually mature leaders.

We invite you to visit and subscribe to the “Transformational Leadership Blog/E-Newsletter”. It’s completely focused on leadership tips, leadership resources, and leadership advice. Check it out at http://www.ileadu.com/leadership-blog. Don’t forget to subscribe when you get there.

Filed under: General, Godly Leadership | No Comments »

Philippians 2:7 (NIV) 
^“…but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness”

This verse frames servant leadership perfectly. It’s a model we can follow at work, at home, and in ministry.

A true leader is not the one calling the shots, making the demands, and extracting sacrifices from others…all so the LEADER can benefit.

A true leader is the servant who thinks of others first, encourages, motivates, inspires, and helps people achieve great results…for THEIR benefit.

Jesus Christ was GOD in the flesh. Who else would be justified in coming to earth and expecting to be served? But what did Jesus do? He came to serve…not to be served. He humbled himself and became like a slave.

So, whether you a leading a business, a ministry, or your family unit… Lead like Jesus Christ. Give up, sacrifice, and serve humbly…so that others may rise up, grow, and benefit.

Filed under: Godly Leadership, Philippians | No Comments »

I recently read the story again about Joseph (Genesis 37-47), and how he grew from an immature teen into the leader that was handed the keys of authority in Egypt and who saved the entire Israelite population from starvation during a seven year famine. You are surely familiar with Joseph (the coat of many colors, dream interpreter, thrown into a well by his brothers, sold into slavery, etc…)

What can we learn about Godly leadership through the life story of Joseph?

1. Leaders are developed…not born. As a teen, he created division in his family with his over confidence and untactful attitude. He didn’t have natural abilities.
2. Developing as a leader takes time. His journey started at the age of 17. He was 30 before he was given a true leadership position. It was another 14 years before he had truly arrived as a leader.
3. Even during difficult trials, he never cursed God. He remained faithful and allowed God to use him. His character and integrity were never sacrificed.
4. He didn’t take revenge when his position would have allowed him to do so. Instead he forgave his brothers, and gave Glory to God for His hand in his life. He used his leadership position to serve, not to be served.

There are many more lessons to be learned from this story, but here are a few thoughts to make this personal.

God’s timing is long term…not short term. Are you asking God to do something in your life NOW!? What if God has a bigger long term plan for your life. It’s better to be in GOD’s will, than attempt to get God in line with YOUR will.

Do you sometimes feel like you just aren’t as effective or influencial as you want to be? Do you sometimes feel like your gifts and abilities are just not being used to their fullest? Remember that leadership takes time and is developed daily. Look at your daily habits and start taking intentional daily steps at growing in a particular area. Be open to new opportunities (big or small), and seek out opportunities to serve.

Who knows, over time, God might just use you for GREAT things you never saw coming.

Filed under: Genesis, Godly Leadership | 1 Comment »

Why is it so hard to put God first? Is it just pure selfishness? Is it forgetfulness? Does it just boil down to the fact of our sinful nature? Honestly, I believe it’s all of the above.

When I have a decision to make, such as something I want to buy, or maybe changing careers, or maybe choosing between working and spending time with family…it always seems to be difficult. Selfishly, I find that I want to buy something…well just because “I” want it. Or I’m thinking about what career would be best for “ME”. Or I know that my family is very forgiving and maybe they won’t mind me putting in another 5 hours of work this weekend.

Forgetfully, I sometimes just don’t think to ask God what He thinks. And sometimes, I don’t ask because I already know the answer and I don’t want to admit it; the 50 inch plasma flat screen just says “buy me…you deserve it”…or something like that.

God says in His word that if we put Him first: His will, His desires, His purposes for our life… He will bless us abundantly. Read Matthew 6:25-33, with special emphasis on verse 33. The passage is specifically about worrying about tomorrow and the food you will eat and the clothes you will wear… but the principle is the same. Instead of thinking about ourselves and what WE want and what WE need… leave that up to God to provide.

The more I remember verse 33: “Seek first His kingdom, and all these things will be given to you as well”, the more peace comes over me. Instead of worrying and trying to focus on myself, I just need to stay focused on God and what He wants for my life. God will take care of the rest.

Make this a focus in the coming week and see if it provides you with a greater level of peace…and let me know how it goes.

Filed under: Matthew | No Comments »

“Joseph labored in obscurity for a season of his life…” before he finally arrived at his God given purpose of saving the Egyption and Israelite peoples from 7 years of famine (Read Genesis 37-41 for the full story). I read the first part of that quote recently in John Maxwell’s book “The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leaders Day”.  My first thought was how many of us struggle through life feeling the same way…like we are toiling in obscruity, not sure of our God given purpose. Often, we’re not sure if we are making a difference.

Have you ever felt that way? I know I have. We can learn several lessons from the story of Joseph.  1) God expects us to live faithfully and obey His commands… even if we don’t know where and how He’s using us. 2) God’s timing is MUCH different than ours… God works in decades and lifetimes… not days and weeks like we want. 3) Our toiling in obscurity is preparation for the day when God will use us to accomplish His purpose for our lives.

When we live in God’s will, and God’s timing, using our God given talents… our eventual greatness will bring glory to the One who deserves it… God.

Filed under: General | No Comments »

Sometimes, I don’t feel like being loving. People aren’t being nice to me, I’m feeling unappreciated, and no one seems to notice me in a positive way. Ever feel like that?

I felt that way last night with my family. Then I was reminded by God that It’s in these times that we are called to Love anyway.

We can change the face of Christianity by loving others…ESPECIALLY when we aren’t feeling loved ourselves. Give it a try, and let me know about your experience.

Filed under: Changing the Face of Christianity | No Comments »

I was recently interviewed on a nationally syndicated morning radio show about my faith story (FamilyNet/Sirius 161, Mornings with Lorri and Larry).

I was an atheist for 13 years, and through a miracle, started believing in God and eventually put my faith in Jesus Christ. Hear about my transformation and also learn a few tips on influencing Atheists.

Click here to hear the radio interview (26 Minutes). Also, let me know if you have any comments.

Filed under: General | No Comments »

I was recently on the radio sharing my faith story from Atheist to Christian. During the interview, the host asked a question I wasn’t completely prepared for. She said “Given that you were an atheist, how do you suggest Christians should approach an atheist”?

Now, I knew how NOT too…but how to? I thought for a second and answered… you simply much SHOW God’s love to them. You can’t quote scripture (they don’t believe in the Book), you can’t say “I’ll pray for you” because that’s like telling an Atheist you are from Mars and your name is Shraaaak-neebo-alkkksitar”. It just doesn’t resonate with them. So, the only way to truly win them over is to show them genuine Christianity. The kind where you actually DO love your neighbor in words and actions. The kind where you don’t look and act like every other person in the world.

In my words, you show them the true FACE of christianity….the kind they can’t resist.

So, a quick topic to discuss as a group. What REAL, practical, do-able, genuine acts of Christian Love are you doing for Christians and non-christians alike? Share your best tips!!!

Filed under: Changing the Face of Christianity, General | No Comments »

I recently read a blog article about Holy Ostracism. It was asking the question if we should isolate ourselves…or otherwise refuse fellowship with homosexuals. There are biblical references to not fellowshipping with “sinners” that people rely on to support this view. However, here is my response.

I think we Christians, to our discredit, place much too much importance on the issue of homesexual sin. Outsiders view us a haters, high and mighty, pompous, etc…  Is homosexuality a sin? yes. But remember that ANY sin is just as sinful as homosexuality to God. God teaches us to take the plank out of our own eye before we look to take the speck out of another person’s eye.

Should we practice holy ostracism because someone is homosexual? absolutely not. That only feeds the negative perception…that “we won’t associate with those sinners”..and that we are somehow better than them.

The fact is that we are NOT better than them. Even if we are Christian, and they are not…we are still NOT better than them. God is better…and it is Him who redeems us.

Would you ostracize someone who drank excessively? How about someone who was prideful. How about someone who lusts after someone who is not our spouse? How about someone who (insert any other sin you’ve ever heard of)?

Unless you are going to ostracise everyone (for all sins), I wouldn’t recommend ostracizing anyone for simply being homosexual.

Instead, associate with them. Share your love with them. Engage with them and let your life influence them positively. Let them know that even though God considers their behavior a sin…that we ALL sin, and God still loves us. Then encourage them to seek God and ask him into their life. Homosexuals don’t need to be “fixed”…they need to be loved. God will take it from there.

By the way, I’m very passionate about this negative perception of Christianity. I’ve started a movement to counter those negative perceptions…but it starts with YOU..and how you interface with the world. If you are interested, join our facebook group called “Chaning the Face of Christianity“:

Filed under: Changing the Face of Christianity, General | 1 Comment »

My wife and I spent the weekend out of town and visited the church of our in-laws. It was interesting to note how different their church was. In fact, without close inspection it would be easy to ONLY see the differences. The music was different. Songs we sing…they sing differently. Their communion was different. The sermon style was different. The bulletin was different. In other words, it was a completely different experience. OK…then what was so profound that I should write about it?

It was the same! Christians devoted to Christ, praising and worshiping him. The people loved God although they expressed it differently than I was used to.

In this life, it’s so easy to look at how we are different than other people. It’s harder, but so much more meaningful, to focus on how we are the same. We are all in need of a savior. We are all imperfect. We all have hurts and doubts, but our God covers them all. We all have a God who loves us and makes us complete. We all have a God who deserves our worship and praise. How you and your church congregation expresses that is up to you.

Filed under: General | No Comments »

When did you accept Christ into your life? That was a significant, eternal life event that likely happened many moons ago.

However, do you live your life today as if you JUST made that choice…full of passion and eagerness to please God?

Remember that we must take up our cross DAILY (Luke 9:23). Choose Christ daily and see how God blesses your life and uses you to bless others.

Filed under: General | No Comments »

Just before Jesus was crucified on the cross, he was brought before the Roman governor in Jerusalem, Pontius Pilot. After a series of questions by Pilot, Jesus said “for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” Pilot responded with “What is Truth?” My thoughts on this are below. But for your convenience, here are the verses:

John 18:37-38 (NIV)
37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
38 “What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him.

So, what is truth? There are too many references in the New Testament where Jesus says “I tell you the truth…” or “Truly, Truly, I say to you…” to mention here, but take some time and look them up. You’ll be amazed.

Here’s my feeble attempt at an answer.

Throughout the Bible, we read about people coming to God, then falling away. Worshiping God, then starting to worship other gods and idols of this world. People serving God, then choosing to serve themselves. This pattern is repeated several hundred times!

God says I AM the only God. We should worship and serve ONLY HIM!

But if truth is relative, and everyone’s religion and spirituality is just as good as anyone else’s, then what’s the harm in worshiping money, our jobs, our hobbies, other “gods”, ourselves? The answer? We are harming our relationship with the One True God.

I believe Jesus was saying that truth ISN’T relative. God IS real. Jesus’s teachings, and His redeeming sacrifice on the Cross is real. His resurrection is real. We can have eternal life with the father by accepting Jesus’s sacrifice…that is the truth!

So, what is truth? Even though we all sin and don’t deserve it, God loves you and wants an intimate relationship with you. Jesus was God in the flesh and came to earth to die for your sins, so that you can have eternal life and fellowship with the One Truth God. All we have to do is accept this precious gift. Amen!

Filed under: General, Truth Project | No Comments »

John 14:6 (NIV)
⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
I hear it all the time: “I can’t believe in Christianity…or in a God that would exclude so many people from enjoying a relationship and eternal life with Him”.

With so many religions out there, how pompous is it of Christianity to think it’s the only true religion, and be SO exlusive…right?

I’ll save the topic of what makes Christianity different and special for a later post. I will say in summary…NOT all religions are true. Not all of them can be right at the same time. People who haven’t really studied the various religions look at that debate and say “look at all of the things these religions have in common; golden rule, the flood story, virgin birth, blah blah blah”. But its’ the differences that you have to look at when trying to compare them. If one religion says there is no heaven, and one religion says that there is…then one of them is wrong…end of story. I’ll talk more on that later. But for now, let’s talk about our exclusive little club shall we?

So, is Christianity exlusive and pompous? Hardly. Read on…

Let’s tear this argument apart, piece by piece.

1. Did Jesus die for just Christians (who didn’t exist at the time he walked the earth) or Jews? No. He died for EVERYONE, so that ALL could have eternal life with God.
2. Did Jesus put any restrictions on who could accept him…or difficult barriers between you and Him? Did he load you up with burdens that you must carry in order to be on His team? No.

   He said in Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)
   ²⁸ “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
   ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
   ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

3. If Christianity was a country club…what would you have to do to be a member? Answer: walk up and say “I accept your membership, that has already been paid for me by the owner…Jesus Christ”.

So, how can you call something exlusionary and intollerant…if all you have to do is ASK for it? Again, just say “Jesus, I accept your free gift. Instead of rejecting you…I accept you. Instead of putting up exuses and walking away from you…I want a relationship with you.”

The next time you hear someone say “Christianity is intollerant and exlusionary”…ask them to explain what is keeping them from accepting his free gift? Ask them to explain, specifically, what Christians are doing to keep them out of the club. The fact is that Christianity is the most open, tollerant, non-exlusive club on earth. ANYONE can join, ANYTIME in their life…and they will be accepted.

So what’s it going to be? Want in? All you have to do is ask. .

Filed under: General | No Comments »

My wife and I spent a few hours this Saturday, doing some home improvement at the home of a single mother and her family. One of the tasks was to remove the rocks, gravel, and dirt near the front entrance of the home…to make way for future plants and flowers. In all, we probably removed about 3 inches of ground in a 4 x 12 area.

My reason for telling you this is to point out the unfathomably enormous power of God. How so?

We only spent three hours doing the job, and it broke our back. We were spent. Our muscles were aching, but we felt great for doing the work and helping out. But as we worked, I couldn’t help contemplating the power of God. We were killing ourselves JUST to move a small amount of dirt. It took all of our might. Yet…God, created not only the dirt that we were now moving, but ALL of creation. He created the entire earth, all the planets, all the stars, EVERYTHING.

Think about that for a moment. What is impossible for humans to do…God did without even breaking a sweat. Can you imagine how supremely powerful God must be to do that?

Let us rest in the peace that we have a Great God who is powerful beyond our imaginations. Let us give Him thanks and praise. The next time you feel like you can’t go another step or can’t make it another minute, think about God. Ask God for His power. He has more than enough power to help all of us in our times of need. All Glory to God in the highest. Amen!

Filed under: General | 1 Comment »

We’ve designed a cool laptop skin to help you promote God’s word and engage with people around you. It’s a clear laptop skin that stics to the top of your laptop that others can see. It says “What is Truth? Ask Me!”.

Check it out and buy your own at http://www.sticviews.com.

Here is a quick link to the exact laptop skin you can buy: http://sticviews.com/yourCreation.aspx?ArtworkID=1661&from=database

Just follow the link, click Add to Cart, and you are on your way. Enjoy.

Filed under: Truth Project | No Comments »

1 John 1:1-4 (NIV)
¹ That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched–this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.
³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
⁴ We write this to make our joy complete.

Let us not forget that John the Apostle, actually SAW, SPOKE WITH, AND TOUCHED JESUS. Some people falsely claim that the writers of the Bible never actually saw or spoke with Jesus. Non-believers would like to believe that was true. However, you and I know differently. We know the truth.

In the above passage, when John says “the life appeared” he is referring to Jesus Christ. Isn’t it powerful to have a first hand account of the teachings of Jesus…an eye witness to his ministry in this world?

So what do we do with this information? How are we to respond? My answer is “with confidence and grace”. When confronted or challenged by a non-believer…speak the truth. The Bible is the truth.

My second answer is…”by changing your life”. Think about it. If you truly believed that what the Bible teaches is 100% true…how would you think and how would you treat others? Would you start forgiving others (quickly)…as the Bible commands? Would you LOVE others as John suggests? Would you be slow to become angry as instructed in James 1:19?

It is my prayer that we all LIVE a life inspired by the truth of God’s word.

(for more information on 1 John, check out our 5 week, 1 John bible study.)

Filed under: 1 John | No Comments »

The 2nd fruit of the spirit is Joy.

I can honestly say I don’t have enough joy in my life. How about you?

I get so busy, trying to manage too many responsibilities…and it all just gets to be too much at times. That steals my joy.

So, I can’t offer much advise on the topic of joy… Except to say that joy MUST be a choice. I make choices which lead to joy or choices that lead to the lack of joy. So what are we to do to experience joy and reflect God’s joy to the world? I say we try the following as a start: when tempted to complain, argue, or be moody…let’s pause. Let’s make a choice to be joyous instead.

Think about how wonderfully God has blessed you. And if that isn’t easy to do in your current phase of life, instead, think about how much more suffering Jesus Christ endured for your sake. What you are experiencing is nothing compared to that.

Let me know how it goes…I want to hear from you!

Filed under: Fruit of the Spirit | 1 Comment »

Love is the first Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23.

How do you measure up? Christians are called to be role models to our society. How well do you love your spouse, your children (or parents), or complete strangers?

The Bible doesn’t say “Love those who love you” or “Love just those who deserve to be loved”. On the contrary, LOVE must begin and end with you. Let YOUR love be the spark that encourages others to do the same.

In the coming week, just pause now and then and contemplate…”in that conversation or in that action, how well did I show love?” Only by focusing on this Fruit can you hope to Love others as God calls us to.

Filed under: Fruit of the Spirit | 1 Comment »