Semons in a Nutshell

The Burning Bush and the 9-to-5: Finding God in the Routine Scripture: Exodus 3:1–12 Several years ago, I visited Turkey—a beautiful country steeped in biblical history, from Ephesus to Mt. Ararat. But one of my most memorable moments happened while waiting in a mundane customs line. I noticed the guy ahead of me looked familiar. When he turned to snap a photo with an agent, it clicked: I was standing right behind former NFL running back Tiki Barber. It was a completely unexpected encounter in the middle of a routine travel day. The Bible is full of these unexpected encounters. Often, we assume God only speaks during "mountain-top experiences"—altar calls, church retreats, or moments of sacred silence. But scripture shows us that God routinely crashes into our ordinary, daily routines to deliver His biggest callings. Holy Ground on a Regular Tuesday When we meet Moses in Exodus 3, he isn't fasting on a mountain or praying in a temple. He is working his day job—herding sh...

 The Disciplined Sword: Faith, Force, and the Follower of Christ Scripture: Romans 12:17–21; Exodus 22:2–3; 1 Timothy 5:8; Nehemiah 4 What does faith require when danger knocks at the door? Recently, a quiet evening dog walk in Washington State turned tragic. Approached by a stranger and asked, “What religion are you?”, a believer answered faithfully: “Christian.” For that one word, he and his dog were viciously stabbed. The man survived; his dog did not. The attacker was later stopped by law enforcement using lethal force. Incidents like this—or the mobs disrupting church services we've seen in the news—force us to confront a heavy question: Does the Bible demand that Christians simply fold their hands in the face of evil? Scripture never equates biblical goodness with helplessness. Here are five pillars that define how a Christian should navigate a violent world with disciplined courage. 1. The Character of God: Shield and Sovereign We often fall into the trap of separating the O...