Faithlife Blog

  • Church Technology
    • For Communications Staff
    • Church Graphics
    • Church Management
    • Church Operations
    • Online Community
    • Online Giving
    • Presentation Software
    • Sermon Cloud
    • Website Builder
  • Culture and Context
  • Digital Discipleship
    • Bible Study
    • Christian Education
    • Christian Entertainment
    • Featured Books
    • Featured Courses
    • Leadership
    • Practical Theology
  • Ministry Resources
  • Deals
  • Inside Faithlife

May 10, 2013 By Ray Deck III   |   1 Comment

Hope for a New Testament Girl

She slumped back into her chair and folded her arms. “I guess I’m just a New Testament girl,” she said, frustrated.

I didn’t have an answer, so I took a pull of my styrofoam-flavored coffee and avoided eye contact. We were on week two of an eight-week study through Genesis and Exodus. Some churches call it Sunday school; we called it adult education (because we’re hip like that). The New Testament girl and her husband were new additions to the class. They may have been new additions to the church and Christianity, for all I knew. We were in Genesis 16, and she was asking good questions, honest questions, insightful questions that made me somewhat ashamed I hadn’t asked myself.

How could God bless Abraham? Look at how sinful he is!

What did Ishmael ever do wrong? He’s cursed before he was born! How is that fair?

Having grown up with an ambient knowledge of the New Testament God of love, I struggle with the some of the starker portraits of Yahweh painted across the Old Testament. Of course we know that Old Testament Yahweh and New Testament Jesus are one and the same in spirit, yet distinctly different persons. Jesus was present for all the the wanderings of Israel, and Yahweh is still very active throughout the ministry of Paul. God’s nature is unchanging. He did not get a personality transplant in the last chapter of Malachi, though sometimes it seems that way.

Reconciling the two sides of God is difficult work, made somewhat easier by Connect the Testaments, the daily devotional that we’ve built into the Faithlife app. Written by our own John Barry and Rebecca Kruyswijk, Connect the Testaments comments on a different passage of Scripture each day, alternating between the Old and New Testaments.

If you’ve grown up fearing the God of Abraham, this devotional can help you come to know his love.

If you have trouble making sense of the Old Testament narrative, this tool can help you see its harmony.

Had I known about Connect the Testaments that day in my adult-ed class, I would have shared with New Testament girl the passage from January 9.

When God’s promises are lavished on Abram in Genesis, we can’t help but feel a bit surprised. It seems undeserved . . . The greater context of the Genesis narrative shows that God’s blessing is certainly not just about Abram . . . He presents Abram with a promise and a gift—a plan of salvation for humanity. God re-establishes relationship on His terms.

Where can I find it?

Great question.

On the home screen of your Faithlife Bible Study app, click the gray “plus” sign in the Daily Readings pane, and find it in the list of Daily Devotionals.
faithlife.devotional

I think you’re going to love it.

***

The Faithlife Study Bible links Scripture passages that address the same topic, so you can make connections with just a click. Download the Faithlife Study Bible for free from your favorite app store, and take your Bible study to the next level.

Filed Under: Practical Theology Tagged With: devotional, new testament, old testament, testaments

May 1, 2013 By Kyle Fuller   |   8 Comments

Grow Closer to God with Mary: Devoted to God’s Plan

Mary-devoted-to-gods-planMary was a young, unmarried woman, and her plan from God was to birth our Savior, Jesus Christ. Afraid, scorned, and downright confused, Mary followed God’s will for her, trusting that his plan was better than she could ever imagine. Learn more about her life and faith this May with Mary: Devoted to God’s Plan, now available from Logos.com as a resource in your Faithlife Study Bible.

This eight-week study program covers topics like facing fear with faith, embracing the unexpected, and more—topics that, to this day, Christians struggle with. Each chapter is structured to maximize your study and time. You’ll learn about the cultural and historical events surrounding Mary and the theology behind her, and you’ll conclude each chapter with application questions to help you on your own faith journey.



Mary: Devoted to God’s Plan is 20% off for a limited time with coupon code FSBMARY. Start using your Faithlife Study Bible to get closer to God and his Word.

Get Mary: Devoted to God’s Plan for 20% off today with coupon code FSBMARY!

Want to use this in your church or small group? Click here to learn more.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: devotional, new testament, old testament, testaments

Subscribe!

Sign up below to get the Faithlife blog delivered right to your inbox.



Get a free faithlife.com account today.

Register

Copyright © 2021 Faithlife / Logos Bible Software