Wes McAdams's Blog, page 7
March 25, 2020
3 Important Things for Christians to Remember During this Pandemic
Like all of you, I have been trying to adjust to a new normal. Coronavirus, social distancing, shelter-in-place, flattening the curve, and online worship have all become household terms overnight and our world seems very different than it did a few weeks ago. Nearly everyone I know is trying to do their part to help prevent the spread of this virus and be a good neighbor, but in addition to stay home and wash your hands, here are three more things I think we need to remember during this...
March 11, 2020
5 Tips for Improving the Way You Study the Bible
When we study the Bible, we often think that means asking a question that begins, “What does the Bible say about…” Then, we proceed to ask a question that might be foreign to Scripture, a question neither the original audience nor the original authors had in their minds. It isn’t that these questions are wrong or should never be asked, but we must learn to take our Bible study beyond asking these types of questions. If you want to become a better Bible student, here are five tips for...
February 26, 2020
How to Love One Another: Forgive People
A series on what the Bible says about loving one another wouldn’t be complete without touching on the topic of forgiveness. The Bible, and particularly the New Testament, has a lot to say about forgiving those who have wronged you. But there are actually several different ideas packed into our word, “forgive.” It’s important to unpack those various ideas, so we know why and how Christians should be people of forgiveness.
Release Debt
Two of the Greek words translated “forgive” are “aphiemi”...
February 12, 2020
How to Love One Another: Do Good to People
As we continue our series on how to love one another, it’s important to point out that we have a tendency think about “love” as something we feel, but the Bible speaks of “love” as something we do. Because love is something we do, it can be clearly seen through a person’s actions; and by contrast, a lack of love can be clearly seen through a person’s actions. Let’s talk about how love means doing good to others.
Love is Not a Feeling
When we hear Jesus tell his disciples, “Love your neighbor...
February 5, 2020
How to Love One Another: Listen to Other Perspectives
This is the third post of our “how to love one another” series. In the last post, we discussed the importance of communicating our needs and expectations. In this post, I want to explore with you the importance of listening to the views and perspectives of people outside of your typical circle of friends and family. You cannot love your neighbors unless you listen to (and try to understand) their perspective.
An echo chamber is “an environment in which a person...
January 29, 2020
How to Love One Another: Communicate Your Needs and Expectations
In a previous post, I announced that we would begin a new series on how to love one another. As followers of Jesus, we all know we are supposed to love one another, but what does that really look like in practical terms? This subject is of the utmost importance, because it is easy to give lip-service to love while habitually treating one another in unloving ways. As we will discuss in this post, some of our unloving actions revolve around expectations we place on other.
January 15, 2020
How to Love One Another, A New Series
Happy new year, everyone! It has been awhile since I have written a new blog post and I apologize for the delay. I am looking forward to another year of learning and growing with all of you. Today, I’m excited to briefly introduce an upcoming series of blog posts. I hope and pray it will be an encouraging series for all of us.
The Importance of Love
As followers of Jesus, there is nothing in the world more important than love. When asked about the most important commandment in the Torah,...
December 18, 2019
Some Much Needed Help Dealing with Grief and Loss
I’ve been in full-time ministry for over 18 years. During that time I’ve preached many funerals, visited with countless grieving families, sat at the bedside of those who are dying, and even experienced my own grief that has literally brought me to my knees in tears. However, I still feel completely inadequate ministering to those who are grieving. That’s one reason I’m so thankful for my friend Michael Whitworth’s new book on grief and loss.
Michael’s Story
In addition to being an...
November 6, 2019
Why We Need to Stop Telling People They’re Commanded to Give
I’ve heard it countless times, after a man tells the church the collection is, “separate and apart” from the Lord’s Supper, he tells them we are “commanded to give back on the first day of the week.” A lot of people have been given the impression that they have to put something in the collection plate each week, so they give because they feel they must give. This is a real problem the church needs to address.
God Loves a Cheerful Giver
In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul is writing to remind the church that they had promised...
October 30, 2019
Should Christians Believe in Climate Change?
It’s no secret that people in our culture are deeply polarized over many different issues. One of the issues on which there seems to be much division is man-made climate change. Some say that humans are destroying the planet through carbon emissions. Others are doubtful, believing man-made climate change is politically motivated and has no basis in fact. How should Christians respond to the climate change debate? Should a Christian worldview allow for the possibility that we might be damaging...
