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* NAVIGATION * * Bible Engager's Blog * Bible Blog * Blog de la Biblia * About * blog.bible * Bible Engager's Blog * Bible Blog * Blog de la Biblia * About * blog.bible 5 Ways to Use Art to Deepen Your Faith Artists Laura and Jason Van Dyk share how art can enrich your Scripture engagement August 31st, 2022 Laura and Jason Van Dyk 5 Ways to Use Art to Deepen Your Faith Artists Laura and Jason Van Dyk share how art can enrich your Scripture engagement August 31st, 2022 Laura and Jason Van Dyk August 31st, 2022 5 WAYS TO USE ART TO DEEPEN YOUR FAITH Laura and Jason Van Dyk How can art deepen your faith? If you had asked us this question about 10 years ago, we wouldn’t have had much of an answer. In fact, we were in the middle of figuring it out for ourselves. We’re Laura and Jason—parents to our little girl, Florence; ... Read more Bible Blog December 30th, 2020 MAKE 2021 YOUR YEAR OF THE BIBLE Carolyn Wildermuth If I had a nickel for every time I said, “I don’t have enough time to do that, ” I would be rich. For me, and I suspect most people, not enough time is an automatic excuse for things I have not thought through or prioritized. The bottom line ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog June 15th, 2020 STUCK IN LIFE’S WAITING ROOMS? FIND COMFORT IN GOD’S WORDS. Davina McDonald You may be seated in a small and sparsely furnished room, staring at the single painting, waiting to learn whether you got the job. Maybe you are the nail-biter pacing the floor of a hospital waiting room, longing for a word of hope that your loved one will pull ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog June 8th, 2020 WHEN TRIALS COME, LOOK TO JESUS Jason Malec Every one of us has experienced a parental fail. If you’re a parent, you can point to those times when you messed up. (Maybe as recently as this morning!) If you’re not a parent, there are likely times when your own parents made bad decisions or acted in a ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog June 4th, 2020 GOD’S STRENGTH WHEN IT FEELS LIKE EVERYTHING’S FALLING APART Hannah DeMarco As an anxious kid, I hated watching action movies. As those films reached their climax, the protagonist faced obstacle after obstacle—each one seemingly more and more impossible to handle. Even though I knew they would make it out alive in the end, I couldn’t shake the feeling while watching: ... Read more Bible Blog June 1st, 2020 TAKING THAT FIRST STEP INTO THE NEW REALITY Gary Wiley When everything returns to normal Earlier this week I sat down with a group of parishioners to discuss the logistics of how to return to corporate worship once the lockdown restrictions are eased. There we sat with our masks on, with no intention to engage in physical contact, ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog May 28th, 2020 EL SEÑOR VA A HACER GRANDES COSAS Centro de recursos bíblicos de American Bible Society «Sólo a ustedes he escogido de entre todos los pueblos de la tierra.Por eso habré de pedirles cuentasde todas las maldades que han cometido» (Amós 3:2 DHH). ¿Por qué el libro del profeta Amós es especial? Amós no era un profeta profesional como lo eran los ... Read more Blog de la Biblia May 25th, 2020 THERE’S REALLY NO PLACE LIKE HOME! Jen Pollock Michel To come of age—at least in our family—means earning the right to watch The Wizard of Oz . (Isnt a certain degree of maturity required for facing those evil monkeys?) The film adaptation of L. Frank Baums novel is a classic story about the search for home. Dorothy and ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog May 18th, 2020 HONESTY WITH GOD IN THE PANDEMIC Dana Ergenbright It can be easy to connect with God and spend time reading the Bible when we feel peaceful and happy with everything in our lives. But what do we do when pain and loss have slammed into us, when our lives and hearts are a chaotic mess? It can ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog May 11th, 2020 WHAT TO DO WITH FEAR Harriet Hill What to do with fear What do we do when we feel afraid? In A Grief Observed, C.S. Lewis writes, “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death.… Only real risk tests the ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog May 7th, 2020 IT’S OKAY TO BE SAD DURING QUARANTINE Hannah DeMarco Have you heard of the phrase toxic positivity? Toxic positivity occurs when people—especially during challenging times in their lives—push themselves to feel and “be” perfectly happy. I don’t know about you, but I’ve felt the pressure to be this way during quarantine. Social media gurus ... Read more Bible Blog May 4th, 2020 CRUSHED AND BROKEN? GOD IS STILL WITH YOU! RahShell Hemphill As a kid, one of my favorite things to do was to color. I was a perfectionist. I had to stay inside the lines at all times. Crayola was my favorite brand of crayon because they color the best. You couldn’t bring me cheap crayons because I wouldn’t use ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog April 27th, 2020 STUCK IN QUARANTINE? FIND COMFORT IN GOD’S WORDS Davina McDonald You may be seated in a small and sparsely furnished room, staring at the single painting, waiting to learn when you can go back to work. Maybe you are the nail-biter pacing outside the hospital, longing for a word of hope that your loved one will pull through after ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog April 20th, 2020 ALLOW AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD TO SPEAK TO YOUR QUESTIONS Christina Miller Questions in a time of pandemic We all want answers. Many times they are easily given: What time is dinner? When is my trip home? Who will join me? Answers bring clarity and structure to our lives. They help us know what to expect, giving us concrete handles ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog April 16th, 2020 5 VERSES OF HOPE WHEN YOU WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE Hannah DeMarco Your eyes flutter open after a restful sleep warmly tucked under the covers. You yawn, stretch, and take a deep sigh. But as your feet hit the cold, hard floor, reality comes flooding back to you. In those blissful moments between sleep and waking, you almost forgot about ... Read more Bible Blog April 13th, 2020 PEACE BE WITH YOU! Gary Wiley He Is Risen! It was late that [Easter] Sunday evening, and the [believers] were gathered together behind locked doors, because they were afraid of the [COVID-19]. Then Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you, ” he said. ‘Tis true. The preceding paragraph ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog April 6th, 2020 PALM SUNDAY INTRIGUE Gary Wiley Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! This past weekend we celebrated Palm Sunday. We looked on at the celebration from the outside, as we still cannot gather publicly for worship. Ironically, that may have been a fitting reality this time—seeing this from ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog April 2nd, 2020 4 VERSES TO FIND JOY WHEN YOU’RE STUCK INSIDE Hannah DeMarco I’m writing this, hunched over my keyboard at the dining room table. I’ve been seeing this table in my city rowhome a lot lately. Every morning, I drink the same coffee, eat the same breakfast, and sit in the same rickety wooden chair. I notice the same kitchen cabinet ... Read more Bible Blog March 31st, 2020 ORACIÓN POR LA RESTAURACIÓN EN NUESTRO SUFRIMIENTO Gary Wiley Estimados lectores, nos encontramos en un momento difícil como nación. El brote de COVID-19 puso patas arriba nuestras vidas. Algunos de nosotros no podemos abandonar nuestros hogares, algunos han perdido el empleo, algunos están enfermos y algunos de nuestros seres queridos han muerto. No podemos asistir al culto público. ... Read more Blog de la Biblia March 30th, 2020 PRAYER FOR RESTORATION IN OUR SUFFERING Gary Wiley Dear readers, we find ourselves in a challenging time as a nation. Our lives have been turned upside down by the COVID-19 outbreak. Some of us are unable to leave our homes, some have lost employment, some are sick, and some of our loved ones have died. We can’t ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog March 23rd, 2020 ONLY 9 MONTHS ’TIL CHRISTMAS Gary Wiley It’s too early to think about Christmas! If you are observing the season of Lent, you know that we are in the fourth week of Lent with less than three weeks until the great celebration of Easter. Celebrating Christmas is probably not on your radar at all. And ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog March 16th, 2020 OUR WISDOM IS FOOLISHNESS TO GOD Gary Wiley Boy, we don’t like to hear that! All of our accumulated wisdom from over 7 billion people multiplied over millennia adds up to a bunch of foolishness. The apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:18-19a, “Do not deceive yourselves. If you think that you are wise in this age, ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog March 13th, 2020 5 VERSES TO CALM ANXIETY OVER THE CORONAVIRUS Hannah DeMarco Hi, I’m Hannah, and I’m a recovering germaphobe. When I was a kid, I worried about catching diseases from touching other kids’ toys and locker doors. I washed (and still wash!) my hands diligently and thoroughly. I took every single one of my vitamins. For me, this ... Read more Bible Blog March 9th, 2020 MEMORIZATION: GETTING GOD’S WORD INSIDE YOU Peter Edman Memorization has been on my mind and on my task list recently, including preparing a list of the top 10 Bible passages everyone should memorize. One candidate for that top-ten list of memory verses is Paul’s reminder in Philippians 4:8 to “fill your mind with those things that are ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog March 5th, 2020 5 VERSES TO HELP TRADE STRESS FOR PEACE Hannah DeMarco I just can’t catch a break. I remember hearing my mom utter these words at her most stressful times when I was a kid. I also remember thinking, “Could it really be that bad?” Now that I’m adult, I better understand how my mom sometimes ... Read more Bible Blog March 2nd, 2020 JOURNEY WITH JESUS IN THE DESERT Christina Miller The season of Lent is upon us, beginning last week with Ash Wednesday. In many churches, clergy traced ashes across recipients’ foreheads, reciting the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you will return.” This somber reminder led us into a 40-day journey, mirroring Jesus’s time of ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog February 24th, 2020 ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST Gary Wiley Marked for all to see I’ll never forget the first time I received ashes on my forehead on Ash Wednesday. I was part of a non-denominational church in New York City, a church that, although it was a relatively new church plant, was committed to be grounded in ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog February 20th, 2020 4 PRAYERS OF JOY TO FIGHT WINTER DOLDRUMS Hannah DeMarco I haven’t seen the sun in four days. OK, I’m being a bit dramatic. But I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to wake up to sun shining and birds singing. I wake up instead to wintery rain tapping my window. And it makes me want to do what ... Read more Bible Blog February 10th, 2020 CORRECTIVE SURGERY FROM THE BIBLE Randy Petersen Truth has taken a beating in the last few years. From the White House to the Vatican, the concern for “fake news” is talked about, but the reality of deception is as old as Genesis. We can blame the Internet for getting falsehood out faster than before. We ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog February 10th, 2020 FAILURE CAN BE A PATHWAY TO SUCCESS Josh Lawson Like it or not, failure is an inevitable part of life. We face it at work, at home, and in ministry. Unfortunately, society doesn’t place a high degree of value on failure, so people are not often equipped to deal with it when it comes. But failure can be ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog February 6th, 2020 5 VERSES TO FIND JOY IN WHAT YOU HAVE Hannah DeMarco Often, scrolling through Instagram offers a nice check-in on what my friends are up to. I sit nestled on my comfy couch, sipping coffee and smiling at all the fun the world has to offer. Sometimes, though, when I’m having a blah day, Instagram feels like ... Read more Bible Blog February 3rd, 2020 2 WAYS TO ANIMATE YOUR BIBLE READING Randy Petersen Many Bible readers get into a certain rhythm—reading 5-10 verses of the Bible text and asking certain questions to dig into the meaning. Perhaps they read an entry from a devotional booklet. This is a fine model for Bible study, no need to change it. Unless ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog January 27th, 2020 DOES SOCIAL MEDIA MAKE YOU ANXIOUS? Kari E. Randall My friends are railing about politics on Facebook again. I’m exhausted. My social media feeds brim with news of violence, incivility, and decidedly un-neighborly behavior with no end in sight. And that’s just in the United States. Does it feel the same for you? ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog January 20th, 2020 YOU CAN ENGAGE SCRIPTURE ON YOUR WAY TO WORK Davina McDonald The sun has just come up and already I’m feeling anxious, flustered, even exhausted. Not only do I have noise all around me, but I also deal with noise within me. The hustle and bustle of commuting only makes this worse. If I’m not careful, I will allow things ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog January 16th, 2020 4 BIBLE VERSES TO HELP YOU FEEL YOUR FEELINGS Hannah DeMarco I’m sitting at a stop sign, warm Chick-fil-a chicken strips sitting in my front seat as I listen to my favorite song. And then— WHACK!— another car hits me head-on. As much as I hate to admit it, my first thought is, NO! My ... Read more Bible Blog January 6th, 2020 SCRIPTURE FOR EVERY SEASON OF LIFE Dottie McLoughlin I recently reached Senior Citizen status and was having a little trouble celebrating the event. It seemed a bit unreal—after all, wasnt I just 35 a year or two ago? Then I remembered: Oh yeah, the kids are married with families of their own. My husband and I downsized ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog January 2nd, 2020 START THE NEW YEAR FRESH IN GOD’S WORD Hannah DeMarco We’re all sitting around the Christmas dinner table, rattling off our New Years resolutions: I’m going to lose 20 pounds! I’m finally going to write that novel I keep dreaming about. I’m getting a boyfriend, ... Read more Bible Blog December 30th, 2019 THE BIBLE FOR THE WORLD IN 2020 Alasdair Wallace Alasdair Wallace – Bible Advocacy Campaign Manager, Scottish Bible Society I can sometimes forget that when I’m reading the Bible: what I’m looking at is a translation. And not just a translation into English from the original languages of Hebrew ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog December 23rd, 2019 JOIN IN SINGING A 280-YEAR-OLD CHRISTMAS CAROL Bryan Park I have a particular fondness for old hymns of the faith. A good hymn allows us to sing Scripture, and when we sing Scripture, we’re interacting with the Bible, which shapes our choices and transforms our relationships. And since we are just a few days away from Christmas, I’d ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog December 19th, 2019 TRADE WINTER BLUES FOR GOD’S JOY Hannah DeMarco In just two days, we’ll live through the shortest day of the year. And I will hate every second of it. Okay, that’s a little dramatic. But all this winter cold and darkness makes me long for 9 pm sunsets, ice cream, boardwalks, and the ... Read more Bible Blog December 16th, 2019 WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR? Christina Miller I often wonder how Mary felt in the days leading up to Jesuss birth. What did it feel like to nurture and carry the Messiah? What physical pain and spiritual peace did she experience? When she received news of her unexpected pregnancy, Luke tells us, Mary treasured up all ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog December 9th, 2019 GET READY: SCRIPTURE PRACTICES FOR ADVENT John Skillen Every year at Christmas time my family looks forward to watching the “Service of Lessons and Carols” televised from King’s College in Cambridge, England. The singing is exhilarating, and so is the beautiful reading of the passages from Scripture that foretell and narrate the birth of Jesus. The readers’ ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog December 5th, 2019 GOD’S FREE CHRISTMAS GIFTS TO YOU Hannah DeMarco Wait, how is it Christmastime already? you ask the calendar in front of you. While you’re looking forward to the Christmas celebrations, you’re also overwhelmed with anxiety. Christmas is expensive. With all the gifts and décor and parties, your bank account quickly drains down ... Read more Bible Blog December 2nd, 2019 SUCCESS AND LOVE WRAPPED INTO ONE Tara-Leigh Cobble In Part 1 of this series, we talked about three common mistakes I have made when reading the Bible and how my relationship with God benefitted when I corrected those things. The first mistake I made was approaching Scripture with a lens for myself ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog November 25th, 2019 GOD WELCOMES YOUR ‘MESSINESS’ Heather Drew Where did all these feelings come from? All of my life I have been called an “emotional person.” But here is a fact: everyone is an “emotional person.” Emotions are natural and normal, and there are a variety of ways we can express them. Our emotions are created ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog November 21st, 2019 4 VERSES FOR JOY DURING THANKSGIVING STRESS Hannah DeMarco All you want to do is gather with family around the Thanksgiving table and eat good food. But you’re already feeling the stress of the holiday season. You dread fighting for the last turkey at the grocery store. You’re worried about that one relative who ... Read more Bible Blog November 18th, 2019 WHAT PAUL NEVER PRAYED FOR Jennifer Duncan Last week was Veterans Day and I couldn’t help but remember that day by honoring a late neighbor and reflecting on how our lives intersected at a critical time in his life. The encounter also helped me to find a theme in Scripture that I had not noticed before. ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog November 11th, 2019 SUNDAY MORNING TIME TRAVEL Sherri K. Edman We try valiantly to limit media consumption in our home, but as any parent knows, it’s incredibly difficult. And as any stay-at-home parent knows, it’s especially difficult when your kids are operating at maximum “twerpitude” and driving each other—and you—crazy. Sometimes, when we are in each other’s faces, the ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog November 7th, 2019 LOVE YOURSELF THE WAY GOD LOVES YOU Hannah DeMarco I smiled at my little nephew, heart swelling with pride. There he was on the school stage, tie askew, singing “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” loudly and badly. He didn’t know the hand motions. He got carried away and sang the closing note for too long. And ... Read more Bible Blog November 4th, 2019 FIVE QUESTIONS TO GUIDE YOUR BIBLE READING Tara-Leigh Cobble Though I’d grown up in the church and had earned my share of Scripture memory badges in Sunday School, I was an adult before I realized I didn’t actually understand much of the Bible. I knew how to pull out a verse of encouragement when I needed ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog October 28th, 2019 WHY BOTHER? Anne Kennedy The Bible is usually the last thing I want to face in the morning. I lie in bed in the early dawn, that netherworld between darkness and light, my phone in my hand, teetering between clicking on Facebook and clicking on my Bible app. I grew ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog October 21st, 2019 WHAT WOULD JESUS TALK ABOUT AT THE TABLE? Gary Wiley I have been thinking a lot about Jesus’s encounters with people at the dinner table. I wonder what it would be like to have him as a mealtime companion. What would he talk about? Would he walk the path of least resistance, trying his best not to bring up ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog October 17th, 2019 4 VERSES TO OVERCOME THE SHAME OF REJECTION Hannah DeMarco The first time a good friend “broke up” with me in middle school, I ran home crying to my mom. She patiently listened as I detailed every aspect of our friendship, everything we said, everything that happened the last time we had a sleepover at ... Read more Bible Blog October 14th, 2019 A PRACTICE OF GRATITUDE Rachel Dawn Hayes The Bible tells us to rejoice. All the time and in everything. I spend my days juggling a toddler, freelance work, volunteer positions, a husband, friends, and a household. I cook meals that are too complex. I regularly overschedule my days. I am not continuously mindful of my very ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog October 7th, 2019 LEARN FROM MY BIBLE-READING MISTAKES Tara-Leigh Cobble For years I struggled with Bible reading. Not only was Scripture challenging to understand, but that challenge also left me with a lack of desire to read it. Every day I felt defeated before I even started; and most days I didn’t start at all. I ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog October 3rd, 2019 3 VERSES FOR HOPE DURING HARD TRANSITIONS Hannah DeMarco Put away your pumpkin spice, autumnal gourds, and freshly picked apples. I’m the one woman in all of America who hates the fall. Well, actually, I don’t really hate fall. I just hate what it represents: the descent into shorter days, colder nights, more ... Read more Bible Blog September 30th, 2019 I’LL SAY A LITTLE PRAYER FOR YOU Gary Wiley Early in my marriage, my wife used to ask me to “whisper a prayer” whenever a situation would arise. I thought her expression was quaint, maybe even lacking a degree of seriousness. However, it was not like her to take prayer lightly. In those early years of our marriage, ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog September 23rd, 2019 WHY READ MATTHEW’S GOSPEL? Mark Giacobbe There’s something I’ve noticed when I get together with old friends to talk about days gone by: we remember the same events differently. Sometimes these differences involve discrepancies that beg to be resolved. But usually they involve different perspectives; different angles on the same event, with ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog September 19th, 2019 4 PRAYERS FOR GUIDANCE WHEN YOU FEEL TRAPPED Hannah DeMarco I never thought I’d watch a movie about a man cutting off his own arm. But there I was, eyes glued to the screen, watching James Franco stab himself. The movie, 127 Hours , is based on the true story of a climber ... Read more Bible Blog September 16th, 2019 THE CROSS ON WHICH JESUS—AND OUR OLD SELF—DIED Joseph Bentz The cross, the central symbol of the Christian faith, holds such power for believers that they are often willing to go to great lengths to display it. In a remote field in Lithuania tens of thousands of crosses of every imaginable size and design have been planted on a ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog September 9th, 2019 THE FEAST OF LADY WISDOM Joy Clarkson There is an image in my mind which was planted in the earliest dawn of my memory, and which I hope will remain with me into the twilight of old age. It is of my mother reading her Bible. She sits enthroned on her overstuffed blue chair, ensconced in ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog September 5th, 2019 GIVING GOD’S LOVE TO THOSE WHO HURT YOU Hannah DeMarco As a kid, I longed for the day when I’d be free of the heartache and horror of middle school politics. I yearned for adulthood. Adults always get along! I naively thought. I was told by teachers and parents that things would get better. You’re all ... Read more Bible Blog September 2nd, 2019 THE MOST FAMOUS EMBRACE Joseph Bentz One clue that a fictional character has become truly influential in a culture is when that character is known by people who have never read the novels or seen the films in which that character first appeared. Many people know who Sherlock Holmes is even if they have never ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog August 26th, 2019 THE TRUTH THAT SETS YOU FREE Mike Anderson “Don’t you know you aren’t supposed to do that? God tells us not to. You know better.” Growing up around church but frequently found breaking the rules, I was used to appeals like these to correct my behavior. There was a measure of truth in them that resonated with ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog August 19th, 2019 THE CRY OF THE OPPRESSED Brendan Michael Can getting angry ever be a good thing? That depends on how we think about anger. What is the purpose of anger? American theologian Tim Keller defines anger as “love in motion toward a threat to that which you love.” 1 This is the “righteous anger” of which we often speak. One ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog August 15th, 2019 4 PRAYERS TO GET THROUGH A HORRIBLE DAY Hannah DeMarco As a kid, one of my favorite books was Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. I’d giggle and groan as my mom read to me every awful thing a boy named Alexander experiences in a single day. First, Alex’s ... Read more Bible Blog August 12th, 2019 DEALING WITH DISTRACTION Lydia Sheldon Excerpts from Thoughts on Religious Experience , adapted by Lydia Sheldon Have you ever wondered if you’re the only one who can’t seem to concentrate when you sit down to pray or study God’s Word? Have you asked yourself why you ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog August 5th, 2019 TAKE HOPE FROM THE LAMP SHINING IN THE DARKNESS Gary Wiley I confess I am afraid of the dark. Especially when it is very dark—I mean really dark—like pitch black. I used to live in New York City and went through the blackout of 2003 when all power was out for more than 24 hours. It was dark, but not ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog August 1st, 2019 4 VERSES TO OVERCOME GUILT ABOUT FINANCES Hannah DeMarco You pull into your driveway, turn off the car, and lower your head onto the steering wheel. You dread getting out of the car. At least on the way home, you could zone out and listen to music. Walking up your driveway and seeing the shutters that need to ... Read more Bible Blog July 29th, 2019 THE DELIGHT OF A REPENTANT LIFE Matt Cohen The first words of the Lord Jesus Christ’s public ministry were, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). We tend to focus a lot on the “believe the gospel” part of that charge. But how often do ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog July 22nd, 2019 ROOTS TO WEATHER ANY STORM Sarah Berthely When I lived in Mexico, one of my favorite spots was a park with a long path lining several small lakes. The lush getaway was hidden amid the chaos of the city. A few older, gigantic trees lined the path, their roots partially exposed. People often climbed the banks ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog July 17th, 2019 5 PRAYERS FOR PEACE WHEN YOU’RE SICK Hannah DeMarco I’m writing this from my doctor’s office. While I’d rather be anywhere but here, I’m thankful I have a doctor I can go to when I’m sick. But I’m not thankful for all the money and time spent talking to doctors with dead ends. I’m ... Read more Bible Blog July 15th, 2019 A NEW RESOURCE TO UNLOCK THE OLD TESTAMENT Suzy Silk The Bible is not merely a magnificent book written over hundreds of years by a variety of people in a variety of literary styles. It is God’s Word and it teaches us about his character, how to live according to his laws, and how his redemptive plan makes sense of ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog July 8th, 2019 DO YOU NEED TO BE FREE? Mike Anderson Everybody wants to be free, right? America was founded on the principle that every human being has a right to life, liberty (freedom), and the pursuit of happiness. The theme shows up all throughout American songs, literature, and movies. The cry of William Wallace at the end of the ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog July 4th, 2019 4 VERSES TO HANDLE BEING STRESSED OUT OF YOUR MIND Hannah DeMarco Why do bad things like to happen all at once? I imagine all my greatest fears huddled together in a dimly-lit basement, plotting their coordinated attack. I’ll make her feel unsafe by making her have to find a new place to live , one cackles. ... Read more Bible Blog July 1st, 2019 HOW TO GET YOUR KIDS ENGAGED IN SCRIPTURE THIS SUMMER Margi McCombs Adapted from “Now Is the Time Parents’ Guide” by Margi McCombs. If you’re a parent, you might not share in your kids’ joy as you anticipate weeks and weeks of no school. By mid-summer, you’ve gone through an untold number of ice pops. ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog June 24th, 2019 EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LUKE Mark Giacobbe The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts together make up more than twenty-five percent of our New Testament—more than the letters of Paul. These books, a carefully crafted two-part account of Jesus and the early church, were written by a single author, traditionally identified as “Luke the ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog June 20th, 2019 4 VERSES TO OVERCOME DAILY ANXIETY Hannah DeMarco You wake up, hopeful and ready for a new day. But as you check the time, you see you’re already late for work—and you haven’t even showered yet! It’ll be okay , you tell yourself. You’re determined to have a good ... Read more Bible Blog June 17th, 2019 THE BIBLE’S HOPE FOR YOUR ANXIETY Liz Wann Anxiety is close to home for me. In fact, it’s right under my roof. Though I’m not typically an anxious person, I’ve had my own dark season of anxiety. And my husband has struggled with it on a sometimes daily basis—even to the point where it has affected our ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog June 10th, 2019 WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE WORDS TO PRAY Alex Miller A striking pattern in the Gospels is the way Jesus’s disciples often seem jarred by his creative teaching style. They struggle to interpret him so much that when, late in his ministry, Jesus drops his metaphorical language and begins to tell them directly that he is going to die, ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog June 6th, 2019 5 BIBLE VERSES TO OVERCOME EXHAUSTION AFTER WORK Jennica Stevens It’s 6 o’clock. You shuffle into the house, not even bothering to take off your shoes before plopping down on the couch. Is too early to go to sleep? you ask yourself. But then you remember all the things you still have to ... Read more Bible Blog June 3rd, 2019 THE BIBLE’S GUIDE TO DATING Matt Cohen What does the Bible say about dating or courtship? It can be difficult to know how to date in a godly way. After all, you won’t find the word “dating” in the Bible. Much of the Bible was written at times and in cultures where arranged marriages were the ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog May 27th, 2019 BE AN ONLOOKER IN A GOSPEL STORY Joy Clarkson Legend has it that when Saint Bonaventure received the news that he had been elected a cardinal, he was washing dishes in the monastery kitchen. Never very impressed with the prestige of this world, he requested that the cardinal’s hat (a symbol of honor and authority) be hung on ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog May 20th, 2019 CRY IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Matt Cohen “Matt, I think you’re depressed.” The statement shocked me because my wife is not given to exaggeration. Thankfully, because I was shocked I was also speechless, so she was able to continue. For about an hour or so, my wife helped me to see things that, as a pastor, ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog May 16th, 2019 TRADE YOUR NAGGING FEARS FOR PEACE Hannah DeMarco You’re having a wonderful time, watching your kids play in the sand at the beach. But then, almost audibly, something tells you, What if they drown? What if they die right here, right now? It doesn’t matter if the event is unlikely. Your heart ... Read more Bible Blog May 13th, 2019 ALWAYS LEARNING, NEVER KNOWING Mike Anderson This is the fifth installment in a series of blog posts addressing Jesus’s promise that his followers who abide in his Word will know the truth (John 8:31-32). Shortly after I became a Christian, the leaders in the ministry ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog May 6th, 2019 CAN THE BIBLE HELP YOU BE A GOOD MOM? Liz Wann As I scroll through Facebook, I see blog posts for potty training your toddler over the weekend, how to get your kids to listen, and how to get your kids to eat right. I read one post that tells moms to cloth diaper their babies and feed them homemade ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog May 2nd, 2019 4 PRAYERS FOR FINANCIAL HARDSHIP Jennica Stevens “Hey, want to grab a bite to eat tomorrow night?” These words often send me into spirals of dread during times of financial hardship. There have been times when even spending $3 to get ice cream with friends caused a well of anxiety ... Read more Bible Blog April 29th, 2019 ENGAGING IN SCRIPTURE WITH OUR HEARTS AND OUR HANDS Catherine Ricketts Scripture, Animated It was January, dark by five, and bone-cold. I arrived at the party early, shivering as I slid off my coat. Inside, the tree was lit, the candles blazed, and the children pleaded for me to try their game. “We’re journeying to the Christ Child!” a ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog April 22nd, 2019 THE DEATH OF DEATH Rosalie J. Karjala It’s Easter morning, and I’m tucked in between my mother and father on the church pew, shivering a bit from the walk through the spring rain. I feel the swell of the organ as the voices of the congregation rise around me in rich harmonies. The joyous fervor of ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog April 18th, 2019 FINDING WHO YOU ARE IN GOD’S WORD Hannah DeMarco Growing up in the 90s, I was bombarded with messages of self-worth 247. Almost every pre-teen Disney movie or Nickelodeon TV show bedazzled itself with the same tried-and-true message: Be yourself! Don’t let anyone dull your shine! It all sounded nice, but it seemed ... Read more Bible Blog April 15th, 2019 WHY DID JESUS WANT TO EAT THAT LAST SUPPER? Suzy Silk Almost every Sunday, churches across America remember Jesus’s “Last Supper” as they take communion together. Eating bread or wafers and drinking grape juice or wine, they recount Jesus’s words: “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me. … This cup ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog April 8th, 2019 THE ONE-ANOTHER APPROACH TO BIBLE READING Matt Cohen I became a runner when I was twenty-one. I tried running several times before, but it never stuck. I would go out for a run by myself, start way too fast, and give up with a painful side stitch after only five minutes. It was incredibly discouraging. Everything changed ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog April 4th, 2019 FINDING HOPE WHEN YOUR LIFE FALLS APART Maria Wolf Kim didn’t feel close to God anymore. But she thought she was OK. She was alone, yes, but she felt she could handle everything on her own. And then her life fell apart. Her heart was broken through the pain of divorce. Twice . ... Read more Bible Blog April 1st, 2019 WHEN JESUS CRIED FOR HELP Mark Giacobbe “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesuss cry of dereliction from the cross recorded in Mark 15:33-34 haunts us each Lenten season. Traditionally, the church sets aside this season to ponder the deep mystery of God sundered from God, the eternal Son cast out from the ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog March 25th, 2019 DO I HAVE TO KNOW THINGS TO FOLLOW JESUS? Mike Anderson “Why are we wasting our time studying? What really matters is doing what Jesus said.” I’ve been a Christian for 12 years now, and in that time, I’ve heard countless sentiments like this—and for good reason, too. Jesus himself said, “If you love me, you ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog March 21st, 2019 3 VERSES TO HELP YOU LOVE FRIENDS WHO LET YOU DOWN Hannah DeMarco It was Friday night, and I was alone. I began the day envisioning a night full of laughter, deep conversation, and good food. But three minutes earlier, my friend had texted me to cancel our dinner plans. At first, I felt like ... Read more Bible Blog March 18th, 2019 WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU READ THE BIBLE IN AN ART MUSEUM Catherine Ricketts Sometimes in my Bible-reading, I desire to slow down in order to imaginatively enter a single scene or to deeply consider a single theological idea. In moments like these, visual art is a welcome companion, for it captivates my imagination and slows me to a meditative pace. ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog March 11th, 2019 WHAT IS TRUTH? AND CAN WE KNOW IT? Mike Anderson Shortly after I became a Christian, I was encouraged to memorize Bible verses. I remember deriving great comfort from memorizing Romans 8:28: “And we know that for those who love God, all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV). Then one ... Read more Bible Engager’s Blog March 7th, 2019 6 VERSES FOR STRENGTH WHEN YOU LONG TO ESCAPE Hannah DeMarco How am I feeling? Hold on. Be right back. Gotta go watch 37 episodes of TV and do a little online shopping and bake some cookies and plan a vacation I’ll never go on real quick. That’s an actual quote from me this winter. ... Read more Bible Blog Making the Bible available to every person in a language and format each can understand and afford, so all people may experience its life-changing message. * Home * Financial Accountability * Contact Us * Legal American Bible Society is a 501 (c) (3) non profit organization. All donations are tax deductible in full or in part. © 2024 American Bible Society, All Rights Reserved. * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram 101 North Independence Mall East FL8 Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 Phone: 215-309-0900 American Bible Society is a 501 (c) (3) non profit organization. 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