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Why Idolatry is Wrong

Idolatry "steals" what rightfully belongs to God — i.e., glory. Idolatry has no point, since idols cannot see, hear, think, talk, etc. Idolatry represents God as lesser; no matter how impressive the idol,...

COVID-19: Loving Through Confusion

Why COVID-19 news can drive people bonkers: You read one thing one place and another thing elsewhere. Notice below how one title suggests contemplation ("should you" and "suggest") while the other strikes more...

Timing of Grief

Nehemiah 8:9-10 “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to...

Lent/Lament: Worship Order Ideas

Here are a few worship order concepts for lent/lament. Any of these could be adjusted to fit your particular congregation or worship context.   Personal/Societal Emphasis Receive God's Welcome Reflect Inwardly & Outwardly Request Divine Help...

The “Blessing” of Psalm 1

A student asked me a few questions about Psalm 1 and offered permission for me to share.  Here are the questions and responses:   How would you teach Psalm 1? I teach Psalm...

Communication Lesson from the Pandemic

Granted, I’m biased since my dissertation focused on online communication, specifically video used in Christian community — but there's one lesson I wish we would have learned during the pandemic: Online communication is...

Complexity in Esther

As you interpret Esther as a biblical character, let me encourage you to embrace complexity. Good narratives focus on dynamic characters, and scripture is replete with complex, multi-layered narratives. Rather than thinking in...

Juneteenth as a Holy Day

As I've reflected upon the day, in many ways, Juneteenth is more of a holiday (i.e., properly "holy") than July 4th.   Of course, that's not to say I'm against American independence (since...

All People, Unlimited Peace.

I normally take a slower approach to sociopolitical issues, but seeing where this seems to be headed, I’ll state this sooner rather than later for my Christian friends: God cares for all people,...

Persistent Prayer

One thought has sustained me over the past two weeks:  Hundreds of believers around the world are praying for our family.  With so much unknown before us, knowing of these prayers has been...

RESPONSE to Defiant Churches

To Churches Defying Medical & Political Leaders, Christians should be leading the way in terms of loving neighbors and exercising wisdom. Now that children and 30-50 year olds are known to be dying,...

Love, Liberty, & Caution: Why Jesus Would Wear A Mask

What's most surprising right now is not the anti-science views circulating around the internet, but the callousness. There's lots of debate, but less concern for the sick and the susceptible. All who fight for...

COVID-19, Planning, & Jesus

As I observe dozens of Christians pondering what to do this weekend, I can’t help but ask: What would Jesus do?   My guess is that Jesus would be out picking grain and...

Humility that Helps

Bear with me on this one, as it’s an imagined scenario within an imagined scenario...   For years now, starting when I was in college, I’ve tried to understand Jesus’ teaching on foot...

House Bill 2495 – Illinois’ Reproductive Health Act

Illinois is currently attempting to pass expansive changes to reproductive law (House Bill 2495) — considered to be more extreme than what New York recently passed.   Without delving into political talking points,...

How to Choose a Bible Commentary (Tips to Select the Best Commentaries)

I was recently asked some good questions about commentaries — basically, which ones are the best?  To answer that, here are a few thoughts about which commentaries to use, as well as some...

The Purpose of Acts

The overall purpose of Acts is not to explain the Holy Spirt — i.e., as if Acts were a treatise on a single person of the Trinity. Yes, we could say the Spirit is...

Promise in our Labor

Some of my favorite moments are when kids tell Bible stories.   Today, I learned that Noah’s family had to cut down a lot of trees and that alligators are an in-between case,...

Protesting & Mullets

"Patriotism takes many forms, including teaching, transforming, and even protesting." - Bob Costas To state Bob Costas' point another way:  Seeking change (e.g., a wife protesting her husband’s appearance and requesting he cut...

Women in The Book of Esther

We live in an exciting era of women's rights.  In the past century, women have fought for the right to vote, to be heard, and to be respected.  We see this in a...

Equal Employment: A Work of the People

It grates me when the President repeatedly takes credit for the rise of black employment (or the decrease of black unemployment).   First, individuals earn and keep their own jobs, so first and...

Thoughts on the Sinner’s Prayer

A student asked an interesting question about the Sinner's Prayer, its origin, and my thoughts about it.  I thought I'd share this response with everyone, in case it is helpful: Depending on who...

Riptide

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Spiritual Songs & New Songs

In his epistles, Paul speaks of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). His list categorizes three musical types: (1) psalms, which are inspired songs of the covenant, (2) hymns, which...

Reasons to Welcome, Not Ban

  25 Reasons Why Christians Should Welcome (Not Ban) Immigrants & Refugees God cares for all people, not just those inside a particular national border. As Christians, global citizenship trumps national citizenship. Christianity...

Luke & Poverty

“Blessed are the poor.” - Luke “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” - Matthew   In my own life, I have recognized that my reading of Luke has varied depending on life circumstances....

The “Rightness” of Sports

Play the game right.  We all agree on that.   But what does it mean to play the “right" way anyways?   We face a dilemma when a player is expected to win —...

Synthesizer & Spirit

In response to Bob Kauflin's recent post about synthesizers in worship, I agree with much of what he says (nearly everything), including the call for silence, variety, and Spirit dependence. Those are crucially...

How Should We Read Revelation?

To begin with, I acknowledge (and would encourage others to acknowledge) the complexity of Revelation. Amidst the varieties of interpretations, the worst in my mind would be the kind that oversimplifies and overlooks...

Thoughts on the Sabbath

For an audio version of the following post, click here:  https://soundcloud.com/joelpeterjupp/sabbath  _________________ I was recently asked to share my views on the Sabbath.  As I mentioned previously, this is a very complex issue,...

Literature and Preaching

One of my former students at Moody Bible Institute recently asked me how reading literature can improve preaching.  More specifically, the student recognized the importance of reading, but was not sure where to...

Love in Victory & Defeat

Christians, love in victory and in defeat. When looking at situations throughout history and around the world, we know that Christians are not defeated by governments or political movements. Christians are not defeated...