born and raised twice in the bay, I preach Jesus and him crucified
photo from: BiblePlaces.com, used by permission It is easy to picture the scene. One man riding a donkey from the east, followed by crowds waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David!” (Matthew 21:9). Another, likely entering from the west, backed by a column of soldiers, banners and armor—there to remind everyone... Continue Reading →
Nobody just jumps straight into cheating on their spouse. Nobody snaps and murders someone without something building underneath. That kind of sin doesn’t explode out of nowhere. It starts way earlier, way smaller, and usually in ways we shrug off. A flirt here. A joke there. An outfit that’s just a little too revealing. A party we probably shouldn’t be at. A quiet grudge... Continue Reading →
It's 1985, and someone walks into Service Merchandise, opens the catalog, and sees a new television. The price tag reads $500 (about $1,700 in today’s dollars) They hesitate, knowing it is a big purchase, something they will have to save for. Now, fast forward to today. That same person, if they were still around, could walk into... Continue Reading →
Reading Methods and Approaches The Hebrew Bible was not written in a vacuum. It came from real places, people, and history, shaped by centuries of experience and expectation. From antiquity, it was not just read but wrestled with, debated, and cherished. People kept returning to these words, searching for meaning, searching for God. That has... Continue Reading →
““Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom... Continue Reading →
Phillip W. Martin 