#biblicalreflection

What bores you? A Biblical, Expository Reflection on Spiritual Appetite and Holy Discontent “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” — Hebrews 5:14 (NKJV) Introduction: Boredom as a Spiritual Signal “What bores you?” sounds like a casual question, but Scripture treats it as a…

A Hard Question for the Evangelical MAGA Church 2 Thessalonians 1:3 says: “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing.” Paul could look at the Thessalonian church and thank God because their faith was growing and their love was increasing. That raises an…

The most important invention in your lifetime is… Every few years, society crowns a new king. “This is the invention that changed everything.” Until the next one shows up—and quietly dethrones it. So when I’m asked, “What is the most important invention of your lifetime?” my answer unsettles people a bit: My lifetime is in God’s hands. I cannot yet say. Not because inventions are…

If I were to describe my most ideal day, it wouldn’t begin with noise or rush. It would begin with God. Morning: Waking Into Purpose My ideal day starts before the world gets loud. I wake with a calm awareness that I am alive by mercy, not by alarm. Before touching my phone, I touch heaven. “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24 (NKJV) I give…

I will be the first to admit it. I never watch college football. It has just never been a big deal to me. But this year was different. Indiana won the national football championship, and suddenly I found myself paying attention. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was school pride. After all, I did graduate from Indiana University Southwest. My diploma says IU, and I am an IU alumni lifetime member,…

The final saying tries to outgrow the others. Instead of making lemonade or drinking the juice, we are told to sow the lemon. Plant it. Grow a tree. Turn one bitter experience into abundance. At first, this sounds like the most spiritual option of all. It speaks the language of faith, multiplication, and future hope. It borrows imagery straight from Scripture and dresses suffering in the clothes…

If lemonade theology fails because it demands sweetness we cannot produce, the next saying feels more honest. “Drink the lemon juice.” This version rejects forced positivity. It admits the bitterness. There is no pretending the lemon is anything other than sour. In that sense, it feels more realistic than making lemonade. But I still have a problem with it. Drinking the lemon juice assumes that…

“If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Of the three sayings I mentioned in Part 1, this one feels the most harmless. It sounds practical. Optimistic. Even wise. When something bad happens, find a way to turn it into something good. But when this phrase is baptized into Christian language, it quietly turns into something far more dangerous. It becomes what I call lemonade theology. Lemonade…