I have a lot of feelings about social media. (You may be nodding your head as you recall my detox journey from a few years ago.) I guess I’m mainly talking about Instagram because that one still seems to be the one that occupies most of my attention. Lately it’s been feeling hard and heavy, broken and burdensome. And I don’t want to disengage and shut down completely, but I’ve been taking a few steps back in hopes of shifting my gaze back to the goodness and sovereignty of God.

Sometimes I genuinely love all of the connection it brings—keeping up with friends/their jobs/babies and stumbling across a page of like-mindedness that reminds you, “I’m not alone in this.” As a lover of design and photography and words, I’m a big fan of the creativity and inspiration I often find there. I love discovering new theology resources and sermons filled with Biblical wisdom. In those encouraging and connecting aspects, I can feel the “social” part of it pretty well. I can glimpse the good stuff.

But then sometimes the yucky stuff seems to bombard me—the comparison and the name-calling and the shove-it-down-your-throat sort of opinions that make me want to throw my phone off a cliff. Like most people I know, I hate that feeling of being left out when I see a photo of my friends hanging out without me (I'm forever grateful that we didn't have social media while I was in middle school.) And I often run from that feeling of stubborn annoyance when I see other people succeeding in the tender areas I just failed in. I feel deeply sad for the state of the world and am often overwhelmed by the brokenness of it all.

…

I’m reminding myself that these apps are literally designed with our addictive natures in mind, seeking to pull us in with endless scrolling and dopamine hits and social outrage—whatever keeps us coming back. The tech powers want us to spend hours upon hours immersed in their world while they rake in the dollars. They don’t really care if we suffer emotionally or waste our lives in the meantime. (*Edited to add: I should clarify that thankfully there are many employees of these companies who truly do care about the people that use their services. While these are still businesses running with financial incentives, there is nuance in this conversation—which I should have pointed out originally.)

So what do we do about all of this as followers of Christ? The Bible doesn’t specifically address living in the digital age, of course (could you imagine the disciples walking around with iPhones??), but there are a few verses that I come back to when thinking about and praying through this issue (go and read the full passages for context; if you’re familiar with these passages, you’ll probably recognize the various hyperbolic, poetic, and epistolary natures of these verses):

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell (Matthew 5:29-30).

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in your sight,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer (Psalm 19:14).

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:23-24).

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger (James 1:19).

 …

In a world full of instant gratification, I think it’s important to step back and check our intentions and thought patterns at the Bible’s door, over and over again. Although I wish there was a Matrix-like pill I could take to automatically filter everything through, we must repetitively study and obey the Word of God in all aspects of our lives. We must use Spirit-led discernment and discipline to do so.

As for practical application, I don’t think I have the answers for how to handle it all, but I am learning that less is more. Like anything that can lead to destructive tendencies, we need boundaries and space and guidelines when it comes to our devices and (especially) social media. Let’s habitually check in and ask:

Is this leading me to be more sinful or more sanctified?

Am I approaching this in a self-centered way or others-centered way?

Am I using this to glorify myself or glorify God?

Some of us may need to log out of that time-sucking platform for good. Some of us may need to take consistent weekly breaks or longer breaks away from social media. I think all of us need to limit our screen time in some way, but I don’t know what the specifics of what that looks like for you. 

For me, I have found a few boundaries that have helped when it comes to my phone. I don’t do these things perfectly and am still learning to pivot as needed. Also, this list entails my personal guidelines. Yours may look very different based on your convictions or tendencies. Here are my guidelines right now:

o   one day off social media every week (we typically choose Sundays)

o   one month off social media every year

o   limit Instagram screen time every day (Settings>Screen Time>App Limits)

o   don’t allow myself to look at social media before I have spent time in the Word (every week day)

o   keep notifications turned off so they don’t prompt me to open the app (Settings>Notifications>Choose the app & slide the “Allow Notifications” to off).

o   the comment section is not a place for my arguments. Sometimes I do provide pushback in direct messages if 1) I know the person in real life 2) I’ve thought a lot about this issue/post/problem 3) I am sending out of love and not ill will. If my message doesn’t meet these criteria, then I don’t send it. 

o   if I am repetitively feeling negatively toward a particular person’s content, I either: mute their stories/posts or unfollow them. (This is not necessarily their fault, and a mute/unfollow is nothing personal. My less-than-godly feelings aren’t anyone else’s fault but my own, and hitting that unfollow or mute button is a good way to keep those negative emotions in check.)

I’m really trying to break the Instagram-scroll habit when I’m waiting in lines or just have a bit of down time. I’ve found that the Kindle app helps a ton with this; I can just open up the book I’ve been reading instead of mindlessly scrolling. I’ve also gotten really into listening to podcasts to keep up with news, current events, etc. These apps can be vices, too, of course, so I’m not off the hook in these arenas and there are times when I need to unplug completely. But generally, they tend to be more life-giving/less soul-sucking than Instagram or Facebook for me.  

Honestly, I’m still working on being content in stillness and silence. I’m learning to be fully present in those in-between moments where I often reach for my phone as a numbing distraction. I’m continually reminding myself that a comment or “like” does not replace real, face-to-face conversations or community. I’m finding that it’s okay not to snap the picture every time or google the question I’m asking. There are times for that, of course. But there are also times to lean in and appreciate the moments in real life. There are times to let the Lord guide you through those thoughts instead of asking the world’s opinion. 

…

All of that to say—there are obviously problems with social media, but we should also acknowledge there are some good things there and what man meant for evil, God can use for good (see Genesis 50:20). If we engage with the right mindset, we can learn from others. We can encourage others. We can share the love of Christ with others. We can rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, while pointing us all to the Only One who can save souls. We can have grace for ourselves and others when we don’t do it all perfectly.

This good stuff is why I keep showing up there and why I don’t plan to cut out social media completely. Maybe I will one day, but for now I will keep going back in hopes of connection and laughter, authenticity and inspiration.

And as I stumble through it, I will continue to implement boundaries and Biblical truths until it’s safe to return in a God-glorifying way. 

---

I would love to hear your thoughts about social media—do you have boundaries in place? Do you find the good outweighs the bad or vice versa? Did you delete it altogether or are you still showing up on all the platforms? 

P.S. Here’s a list of recommended resources about our devices & how we engage with them:

o   The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch

o   12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke

o   Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport (I’m currently reading this one; it’s not from a Christian perspective, but it’s super interesting so far)

o   The Social Dilemma (Netflix Documentary; also not from a Christian perspective)

I was talking with a friend the other day about their love story. Like us, this couple started dating early in college, so we were all reminiscing about college days and discussing old pictures. “It’s funny,” I said, “because when I look at a picture of us as freshmen in college, I see two completely different people than the people we are now.” 

Kevin and I have both changed so much since we were 18 (praise the Great Lion of Judah!) We have also changed since we were first married at 22 (yes, I was basically a child bride). And we will continue to grow and change along the way, Lord willing. 

Whereas this is a crippling thought for some, I think change is good and important if we are both headed in the same direction: toward sanctification in Christ.

…

Kevin and I got engaged at the beginning of our senior year in college. When he proposed, he read from John 13 and washed my feet. It was far from an empty gesture because the past eight years of marriage have been full of moments where he chose to show up and serve me when I didn’t deserve it. 

Less than a year after the proposal, I wore a long white dress made of lace, walked down the aisle to 10,000 Reasons, and mended my heart, publicly and spiritually, underneath an arbor of white flowers to my best friend. 

The trees were filled with ribbons and lace, dancing with the breeze. A lot of things went wrong, but the most important things went right. It was an imperfectly perfect day—magical and meaningful and full of glory. I am still so thankful for all of the ways our people showed up and loved us on that day. 

After the wedding, we honeymooned in the Dominican and got all of our cash stolen. We packed up our cars and moved to Arkansas, where we didn’t know anyone. Looking back, it’s obvious to see that we were naive in every sense of the term. Although I’m 100% certain I’ll look back to where we are now and say the same exact thing one day. 

People told us how young we were to be getting married in condescending tones and warned us how hard it would be. We did a lot of smiling and nodding, because we loved Jesus and each other. And for us, that was enough. 

I know we’re still young, that we haven’t yet gone through a lot of life and the really hard seasons of raising rebellious teenagers. I know we still have a lot of learning in the years ahead of us. But I can’t help but think that marriage is so, so good. We are growing up together, side by side and hand in hand. I am learning more about Jesus, about my own sinfulness and my husband’s selflessness.

And sure, there are days when we fight, the truly angry kind where we give mean looks and don’t do a lot of talking until we both apologize for being stupid, selfish sinners. 

Because that’s what we are: sinners. And marriage means double the sin. You are joined to that other person fully, so you help bear his baggage, and he takes on yours. Then you both hand that joined baggage over to Jesus. 

Marriage is sacred and good and hard like that. It is the most rewarding and vulnerable community I have ever been a part of. 

And you’re probably rolling your eyes right about now, but I am holding on to this goodness as hard as I can. We are taking precautions and fighting for our marriage because we know the devil wants to destroy every piece of it. We’re not going to let him.

Because, let me tell you—I think God knew what He was doing when He created the sacred covenant of marriage. I think He knew it would be challenging and wonderful, full of glory and endless ways of making us a little more like Jesus.  I think He knew that He was creating a place where we could be silly and repent our sinfulness and feel safe. 

I think marriage—this sacred rhythm of husband and wife doing life together—is one of God’s very best inventions.

…

Sometimes I am asked marriage advice, which makes me laugh out loud for a full two minutes. But then, once the laughing dies down and I realize they are serious, I usually find myself coming back to these main points I have learned (and am still learning after eight years, which is entirely too obvious for my patient husband):

1.     Our foundation matters.

We must keep Christ at the center, as the Cornerstone where He so rightfully belongs. On the same note, we must keep His Word at the center. Not to mention our prayer life should be more active than a three-year-old on a sugar high (This is hypothetical, of course. Bless all of you with threenagers.) If we do not have our marriage roots in Christ and His Word, along with an active prayer life, then we will fall apart faster than Jericho itself. We must keep asking ourselves in both peaks and valleys, “What is our purpose here? Have we looked to see what Scripture says about this? Have we prayed over this?” 

If we establish our foundation in Christ and declare that we will choose to wake up and love the other person regardless of our feelings, then Christ will be glorified in our marriage. Our spouse may not always make us happy, but with a rock-solid foundation in Jesus, we can grow in holiness and acquire the joy, joy, joy, joy down in our hearts (like the Sunday school song declares).

2.     We should view our spouse in a lens of grace.

If we keep score on every little thing our significant other does wrong and then throw it in their faces at opportune moments, this will end poorly (I say this from experience, obviously). And then they might just bring up some of your hypocrisy and sinfulness and you might find yourself crying in the bathtub while saying, “I am the worst wife in the history of wives. I am Eve herself.”

Critique without grace often comes back like a boomerang, ladies and gents. So let’s observe that beautiful golden rule and treat our spouse in the way we want to be treated, which is preferably with heaps and heaps of grace.

3.     Praise him at the gates (see Proverbs 31:23). 

Allow me to speak to all of the wives for a moment: we should be our husbands’ biggest cheerleaders, even when they are not present. Just like harsh and inconsiderate words negate intimacy in our relationships, a few kind and encouraging words breed life for our husbands. 

When girlfriends are dishing on their husbands, we can sit silently or share some of the ways in which we have failed our husbands (this takes up approximately one thousand hours for me, so it really helps change the course of conversation). I’m not saying I’ve been perfect in this arena, but I strive to be the wife who builds up rather than the one who tears down. 

I still lovingly make fun of him, though. I am not Mother Teresa. 

4.     Have intentional conversations, and have them often.

This is a big one for us. As newlyweds, we found ourselves loving marriage but also a little bit disconnected from each other—which sounded crazy, since we began sharing a bed and a last name. But it seemed that Kevin and I were spending the majority of our time binge watching The Office and not enough time having real, honest conversations. After a few long months of feeling this way, we began a series of asking each other weekly questions. This habit quickly and completely shifted our relationship into deeper, holier spaces. 

Every Sunday, no matter how long the day or where we are—we discuss the same 6 questions. We’ll be driving across state lines or walking the roads in our neighborhood or curled up on the sofa and we’ll talk about our weekly highs and lows, our dreams and thoughts and convictions. Sometimes it will last minutes and sometimes it will last hours. Sometimes we bust out laughing and sometimes we burst into tears. But we are always glad we took the time to connect in this way, seeing where our heads and hearts have been dwelling and gently speaking encouragement and life back to one another. 

Whether you choose your own list of weekly questions, write letters to each other, or pray with your spouse on the phone during your commute to work, find a place time where you can connect in real, honest, and vulnerable ways and then make a consistent habit of it. It could potentially be awkward at first, but you might just be surprised in all of the beautiful ways God grows your marriage during these conversations. 

5.     Have fun together.

In the name of Narnia, not everything has to be so serious all of the time. Go on a hike or a spontaneous trip to the edge of the ocean. Go bowling or play laser tag or cheer on your favorite football team or build a fort in your living room. Don’t be robots who only discuss work or kids’ schedules or all of the reasons you are too busy to do that. Don’t forget to dream and play and live to the very fullest.

Even in our weekly questions, at the end of the usually-serious discussions, we simply ask each other a random question. This will usually be something silly and ridiculous, like our most desired superpower or our favorite Parks & Rec character (it’s gotta be superspeed and Ron for me). We have fun through both big and small ways—through taking a trip or walking around the neighborhood or having friends over for outdoor movies. 

There are endless ways of having fun, but I keep finding this concept is important in all relationships, and especially in marriages. If we can’t have fun together and laugh with each other, then we are missing out on so much of the JOY God wants us to experience in this crazy and messy and hilarious life.   

6.     We have been designed not to walk through marriage alone, but in community. 

You may be tired of hearing this, but I will keep shouting it from the rooftops because community is so undeniably important and entirely too easy to neglect when it comes to our marriages. 

Biblical marriage counseling is a good thing. Small groups are so helpful. Couple friends are life-giving to marriages in all kinds of ways. We cannot hide down in our bunkers forever (no matter how much this introverted homebody would love that). We cannot neglect the people around us—not only because it is a gratifying experience for our marriages, but also because community is such a vital part of living life for the glory of God.  

7.     Never use the word hubby.

This is based on nothing Biblical whatsoever, just cold-and-hard opinion. Blessed assurance, I am doing all of us a favor here. 

[If you’ve recently read the golden calf story from Exodus 32, then you’ll be familiar with the plot lines of this little recap.]

Let’s set the scene: God has rescued His people (the Israelites) out of Egypt, and He is leading them into the Promised Land (where there’s milk and honey galore). On their way, they camp out around Mount Sinai so that God can speak with Moses (where Moses is given lots of instructions on how to live/what to do). Moses often comes down from the mountain and relays information with his people. 

In Exodus 24 (on one of his trips down), Moses “came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, ‘All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do’” (Exodus 24:3).

So the Israelites know the Ten Commandments, they’ve seen God work wonders, and they declare their allegiance to Him. (I think we know where this is going). 

But then, while Moses is back up on Mount Sinai, the people grow impatient and call on Aaron (their acting leader while the head honcho is unavailable) to make them more gods. You know, just in case. 

So Aaron, apparently suffering amnesia alongside the rest of them from just witnessing GOD PART THE RED SEA, agrees to the demands. He gathers up all of their golden jewelry and creates a golden calf (a symbol of power), which they immediately begin to worship. In one fell swoop, the Israelites break the first three commandments. 

One might say that things aren’t going so well down there. 

…

Here’s the part that jumped off the page when I recently read this passage:

After the golden calf is built, the people exclaim, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” (Exodus 32:4)  

Now, you probably noticed that Scripture only mentioned one golden calf. But they declared their allegiance to gods (multiple). Sure, I guess it’s possible they created multiple golden idols, but I think they were still worshiping the one true God alongside the fake, golden god. Because the very next verse, Aaron proclaims that “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord” (32:5). Jehovah. They follow through with this feast and even give offerings. 

In a vain attempt to also honor the one true God, the Israelites tried to merge religions together. They didn’t outright deny faith in God, but they added the worship of something else alongside their worship of Jehovah. 

But the Lord’s throne occupancy is not up for revision. He does not share worship with idols. God wants our full devotion, nothing less. We must love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, and minds (Matthew 22:37).

It’s a tale as old as the Garden of Eden: they thought they knew better than God. They thought they could add something to their worship to make their lives better. They thought they could disobey the Lord and get away with it. I suppose the Israelites didn’t realize that one’s worship and love of God is directly related to obedience to God. Love for and obedience to the King of Kings cannot be separated (see John 14:15). Obedience is the fitting response to true salvation.

…

Back to the story, where the Israelites went all wrong. After the feast, they “rose up to play” (indicating their incorporation of more immoral behavior). Disobedience to God often leads to further corruption, which sounds like the case here. 

God acknowledges the Israelites’ blatant twisting of His commands and says to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them” (32:7-8). 

In His perfect righteousness, God threatens destruction of the Israelites right then and there. But Moses intercedes on their behalf, and God relents “of the disaster He had spoken of bringing on His people” (32:14). (Do we see the foreshadowing of the Perfect Intercessor here?!)

So Moses comes back down the mountain (anyone else automatically adding yee-haw to this phrase? Asking for a friend). He sees the idol worship and the dancing of his people and oh man, he is MAD. He breaks the tablets he was carrying (a visual picture of what the Israelites had done by disobeying God’s commands), destroys the calf, and makes the people drink the powder from the recently-demolished idol (which seems a bit odd, to be honest). Moses then chastises Aaron for allowing this calf worship to happen, and Aaron immediately tries to shirk responsibility by blaming the evil people and claiming the calf just popped out of the fire like it had been in a magical Easy-Bake Oven (loose paraphrase). 

Hey buddy, I don’t think that’s gonna cut it. 

After this, the sons of Levi kill those who are not devoted to the Lord, Moses goes back up Sinai to plead with the Lord for his people once again, and the Lord instructs Moses to continue marching toward the Promised Land. I think it’s important to note here that the Israelites’ sins don’t go unpunished. In Exodus 32:35, we learn that “the Lord sent a plague on the people, because they made the calf, the one that Aaron made.” (Yeah, Aaron sounds pretty responsible here).

A note about God’s justice & punishment: Some of us may be scratching our heads at the killing of the ungodly and the plagues sent on the people. I think that’s completely understandable, because we don’t always comprehend the depth of sinfulness and the holiness of God. I wrote a few words about this on Instagram not too long ago if you want to hop over there and read more about God’s wrath & the atonement.

…

Okay, we’ve covered a good bit of ground… but let’s bring this full circle. Even though we may not make golden statues on the reg, we often behave a lot like the calf-worshiping Israelites. 

We try to add things to our worship of God. We attempt to fit God’s commandments into our own agendas. We say, “Oh, I just want to love Jesus and others,” but then we go on acting like His blood shed on the cross is not enough to save and His Word is not sufficient in how to live. (Please know that I’m lamenting over my past guiltiness here). 

Some of the things we worship aren’t always bad, in and of themselves. There are a plethora of examples I could give, but here are a few prevalent ones: acceptance, authority, health, safety, equality, experiences, empathy, prosperity, and patriotism.

None of these things can replace God. They aren’t worthy of our total allegiance and devotion. They cannot be added to the Gospel to gain heaven. Jesus Christ is the only Defeater of death. He is the only One who offers a true and lasting redemption.

Be aware of the false ideologies and insufficient gospels that are sneaking into our lives and churches. Be willing to speak truth in love as we remind one another, “As your neighbor, I want what’s best for you. And what’s best for you (and me) is to obey JESUS. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

…

We cannot keep unrepentantly putting ideologies, people, and platforms on the pedestal meant for God alone while still claiming the name of Christianity. I’ll say this again: the Lord’s throne occupancy is not up for revision. God alone is worthy, and He is a jealous God after His glory. Praise God for the following description of His overwhelming goodness (just a couple of chapters after the golden calf): 

The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped. And he said, “If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, please let the Lord go in the midst of us, for it is a stiff-necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance” (Exodus 34:6-9).

There is wonderful news today, friends. The Lord sent His Own Son to pardon our sins! He was nailed to that tree and bore the punishment we deserve. By grace, through faith. We don’t have to earn our spot, accomplish an agenda, or come up with our own guilt offerings. We can live in eternity with Him because of His good and holy sacrifice. There is really only one acceptable response to this news, and it looks a lot like Moses’s response: let’s bow our heads and worship Him alone.

Let’s stop glorifying our gold; God alone deserves all the glory, honor, and praise!

[cue Martina]

I turn 30 next week, which is a little surreal. The past year felt like a weird Groundhog Day scenario, so maybe I should just keep claiming 29? I don’t know… between witnessing a pandemic and protests, having a newborn baby and making it through a drawn-out election, I’m pretty sure I aged about 10 years, so I guess my claim doesn’t really hold up in court. I’ve also lived through one-too-many seasons as an Auburn football fan, which means the age of my heart is approximately 100 (if you know, you know).

30 isn’t old; I realize that. But reaching a new decade of life does make me do more reflecting. It makes me think about where I thought I’d be and where I am, all the things I thought I would know, and all the things God has done despite my “knowledge” or lack thereof. Gaining another year makes me ask, “What would I tell myself if I could go back in time?”

So here’s a list of advice for younger girls, in true 13-Going-on-30 style. Maybe you can share with your teenage girls. Maybe we can all gain a bit of courage for walking forward in the person God has called us to be. Or maybe my daughter will read this one day and think, “Wow, my mom was so cool and what on earth is 13 Going on 30?” (She has very little hope for not inheriting our sarcasm). And then I’ll tell her all about Jennifer Garner, the Jen-Ben romance, and the quick death of good rom-coms. 

Okay, here we go. 

…

Dear girl,

I don’t know where you live or what dreams you have or the kinds of clothes you wear, but I know you struggle. Because we all do. And we can probably find some common ground in the places we’ve walked—insecure and searching, confused and anxious and constantly seeking approval where we shouldn’t.

I have a few suggestions for you, most of which I wish I could go back and tell my teenage self. I probably wouldn't listen, but maybe you'll hear me out? If not, just be aware that I'm over here cheering for you. 

First off, these days that you're wading through right now may be really great or really hard. Either way, please know that this season isn’t all there is. You might just realize that some of your biggest worries aren't really that big and some of your fears aren't really that scary. And if the fears and worries keep knocking at the door, I have some good news (which I’ll get to in a second).

I know this is so oppositely-cliché, but don’t follow your heart. Your heart probably wants to scream at your parents and get back together with your crappy ex-boyfriend. Your heart is wrong a lot of the time. Listen to the people who love you and make decisions that honor God. 

Emotions matter, but they do not matter most. Don’t grant blind obedience to your feelings. Instead, submit to the King of kings. Like a parent guides a child with rules and discipline and love, God wants to guide you. Let Him.

Being wise is better than being smart. By all means, be dedicated to school and academics, but be more dedicated to studying the Bible. This is where true wisdom lies. This is where the answer to everything lies. 

Show people your genuine self over your curated one. Tell them your dreams and fears and joys and frustrations. If you don't have friends like that, go out and find them. Then hold them tight and make lots of goofy, ridiculous, wonderful memories together. 

You know that one person who gets under your skin more than anyone else on the planet? Pray for them. It will do all kinds of weird and wonderful things to your soul. Remember that hurting people often hurt people; a little kindness and empathy toward others can go a long way.

Listen to your favorite songs when you’re in a bad mood. Turn off the devices every once in a while. Instead of scrolling, pull out paint or pencils and make big, crazy art. Sit in silence with your thoughts. Write stuff down. Read a lot of books and be generous with a laugh.

Don’t forget to take chances and take notes, be silly and sacrificial and pour out (real & Biblical) love to all kinds of people. Be quick to listen, slow to speak (tweet, instagram, tik-tok or whatever the kids are doing these days. Wow, I feel like a grandma), and slow to become angry. 

Please don’t let the world drag you down. Don’t let any person steal your joy. Don’t let hateful words ruin your hope. Don’t cling to the standards of this world. 

Dear one, the world will throw all kinds of insults, lies, and false promises at your feet, but you must not pick them up. You must always cling to hope. Because there is so much hope in Christ. He calls your name and gently whispers, “You are my beloved.” Don’t forget that you are uniquely and wonderfully made, knit together with specific purpose in your mother’s womb.

You will mess up (a lot). You will fall short (constantly). You will fail (both yourself and others). But while you are not enough, God is. He is there, ready to cast off your worries and forgive your sins if you surrender to Him. He has this crazy, beyond-comprehension love for you—deeper than the ocean and wider than the sky. The Lord of the Universe won the battle for you. He became the ultimate sacrifice, the essence of perfection, the symbol of Truth. Christ died and rose again, which means you now have a way to life. You don’t deserve this offer of new life and you never will. But that’s the agonizing beauty of the cross.

May you be cloaked in His love, washed in His mercy, redeemed by His grace. May your name be written on the palm of His hand. May your life bring Him glory. 

I hope, with all of my heart, that you will know the hard but Good News: only in Jesus can our worthiness be found. We cannot make it on our own. His way is better. His rules are good. His promises will not fail.

And I think all of us, no matter the age, need this reminder—

the best identity is not found anywhere in this world; it is hidden in Christ. 

Run to His arms, over and over again. Lay down all of the things you were never meant to carry. Hand over your mistakes, worries, fears, and sins to Jesus. Follow His lead.

You will find security and joy and a love like no other. Hardships will continue to come, I’m certain of it. But the old hymn remains true regardless of circumstances: ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.

Keep looking up, sister. You are the daughter of a King.

Cheering for you,

Alex

Yet again, I am commenting on a HUGE topic of which I will barely scratch the surface. But if you’ve hung around here for a second, then you know that I am very passionate about this subject in particular; we’re talking about Scripture’s inerrancy and authority. The Bible is 100% true. 100% inspired by God. And it’s 100% infallible. 

This doesn’t mean we beat people over the head with our Bibles, but it does mean that we defer and submit to the only real and trustworthy source of truth: the Word of God. It means we know that all of humanity is flawed and fallible, so we must approach every situation and circumstance with a Biblical worldview. 

Now let’s dig in to the “why.”

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Why should we believe the Bible is true?

If you haven’t listened to “Why You Can Believe the Bible” by Voddie Baucham, head over to YouTube and bookmark that now. But I’ll borrow his explanation, because there’s no way I can top it.

I choose to believe the Bible because…

“The Bible is a reliable collection of historical documents written by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claim that their writings are divine rather than from human origin.”

Mic drop.

Do your own research in this topic if you still find yourself doubting its veracity. I guarantee that the Word holds up under scrutiny, and an honest and humble look into these historical documents will be a beautiful journey of discovering truth. 

(My husband is currently reading this book that looks at the reliability of Scripture if you want a starting point).

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Why should we submit to the Bible as authority?

“If we get away from the Word of God, then it’s just an opinion…and we don’t need another opinion. We need somebody who will say, ‘Thus sayeth the LORD!’”- Doug Sager 

Once we determine that Scripture is the actual Word of God, then it’s pretty obvious that this is the supreme and reliable source of Truth. So we can trust the Bible when it says,

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

and:

…we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:19-21).

Also, you don’t have to be a Bible scholar to understand that all of humanity is flawed. We lie and cheat and steal and follow after our own agendas. So why would we trust the things that we say, think, and assume rather than the words of the perfect God? We do not understand or have a firm grip on what the future holds, but the Lord does. The choice is clear, and I’m choosing to defer to the Word of God over what any sinful human might tell me. 

We cannot put someone else’s ideas on a pedestal just because we *assume* that’s what Jesus would do. We know we cannot trust our own feelings or follow our own flesh, so why would we blindly trust someone else’s opinions when they are also an imperfect human? We must read Scripture while surrendering to the Holy Spirit for conviction and guidance. We must test everything others say against the Word of God. We can’t just pull a quote from [insert Christian celebrity or author here] and think “Well, this must be compatible with what the Bible teaches” without doing our own digging. This does not mean we sow seeds of discord in our congregations for the sake of being argumentative, but it does mean we are committed to discovering and spreading the Truth above all else. Thanks for listening to my TED talk (But ya know, don’t trust what I say; seek the truth for yourself in Scripture :)

If you find that your pastor is not committed to the authority of the Bible, then he’s following his own agenda. Here’s my unsolicited advice: get.outta.there.

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What are we supposed to do when the Bible seems to contradict itself?

First, we remember that God does not lie and He is never wrong. So we must assume that we are lacking understanding, and we compare Scripture with more Scripture to grasp a bigger picture. 

At first glance, one might assume that the characteristics of God are in discord. I.e. Is He loving or is He just?

But the fact that He punishes the wicked does not make God any less loving. The fact that He offers mercy to the repentant doesn’t make God any less just. We have to stop thinking in either/or; the Lord’s attributes are both/and. All of God’s characteristics perfectly coincide with one another, creating one harmonizing tapestry of beauty and goodness that points to His glory. 

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Let’s look deeper into another example of seemingly contradictory passages.

In Matthew 11:30, we see that Jesus says, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” A few verses earlier, however, Jesus commands, 

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 39 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Matthew 10:38-39).

Yeah, carrying a cross and losing my life does not exactly sound easy to me. So how do we reconcile these seemingly contradictory passages spoken from the very mouth of the Messiah? We look at context, context, and more context. Who is Jesus talking to? What just happened? What is the point He is trying to make in this moment? Who wrote the book of the Bible? Who is the author? Who is the author writing to? 

Back to the examples. Matthew is the author of both of these passages and he’s writing primarily to Jews, with great attention to proving Jesus as the Jewish Messiah (he references an extraordinary number of Old Testament passages in doing so). 

Let’s take a deeper look into the “yoke is easy and burden is light” verse first. Starting in Matthew 11:25, Jesus talks about how God reveals truths to little children while it’s hidden from the wise and understanding (in the world’s eyes—i.e. the Pharisees/religious elites at the time). Here’s the full passage in this section: 

At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:25-30).

After looking into a bit of commentary, we find out that a yoke is a wooden frame placed on oxen for carrying heavy loads; it was also a common metaphor for keeping the law in this context. So Jesus is saying that we can be free from trying to earn grace and salvation through good works and following the rules. In contrast to the overwhelming burden of keeping the law, Jesus offers forgiveness and rest for those who simply place their faith in Him. 

Now we can look deeper into Matthew 10:

Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 36 And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. 37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it (Matthew 10:34-39).

While we’ve established that His yoke is easy (you do not have to earn your salvation by following all the rules and doing all the things), this Matthew 10 passage makes it clear that following Jesus won’t exactly be a walk down Easy Street either.  

Our love for our family members must pale in comparison to our love for Christ. He does not share ultimate devotion or worship; Jesus requires our total surrender and allegiance. In this passage, He uses a crucifixion metaphor for discipleship (prosperity gospel believers are exiting through the back door right about now). These verses point to the fact that followers of Christ must lay down our own selfish desires and submit to Christ as King. He’s in control, not us. 

After uncovering the context of these passages, we can see how the verses are without contradiction. While Jesus offers freedom from crushing legalism, He also requires a constant surrender and total devotion. All of this is good and true simultaneously! 

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Moving on—if after further study there still seems to be inconsistency, then we must acknowledge that we just don’t fully understand it. This is humbling, and it’s okay. I, for one, don’t think I’ll ever fully understand the reconciliation of free will and predestination (I talked about that some here). I doubt I’ll ever completely grasp how Jesus was both fully God and fully man. But instead of wrongly pointing my finger at God’s Word, I will assume that I must be too limited in my interpretations and understandings. I’ll say this louder for the people in the back: The Lord is not wrong, y’all. And He doesn’t lie. So take a deep breath and repeat after me, “It’s okay if I don’t fully understand everything.” 

This doesn’t mean we give up on studying the Bible; our lack of understanding should compel us to study more and lead to worshipping the God who’s got it all figured out. 

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Why do we obey some Scriptural laws and not others?

We get really tripped up on this one. We read the passages in Leviticus about not touching dead lizards and think, “Umm, that’s weird and seems irrelevant.” In a sense, we’d be right. (Although I’m open to arguments for why we should keep this command; I’m not a big fan of dead lizards.)

I think it’s helpful to understand that there are three categories of laws in Scripture: moral law, civil law, and ceremonial law. While the civil laws and ceremonial laws were given to a particular group of people living in a particular culture, the moral laws are transcendent of these constrictions. While Jesus fulfilled the cleansing laws previously required to enter the presence of a holy God, the Ten Commandments are examples of moral laws which are reaffirmed (often multiple instances) in the New Testament.

1. Shall have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:3; restated in Matthew 4:10)

2. Shall not make idols (Exodus 20:4; restated in 1 John 5:21)

3. Shall not take the Lord’s name in vain (Exodus 20:7; restated in James 5:12)

4. Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8; there is some debate among scholars as to whether this commandment was nullified in Colossians 2:16)

5. Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12; restated in Ephesians 6:1)

6. Shall not murder (Exodus 20:13; restated in 1 John 3:15)

7. Shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14; restated in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

8. Shall not steal (Exodus 20:15; restated in Ephesians 4:28)

9. Shall not bear false witness (Exodus 20:16; restated in Colossians 3:9-10)

10. Shall not covet (Exodus 20:17; restated in Ephesians 5:3)

I also recently heard a couple of sermons that pointed out how Jesus was summarizing the Ten Commandments when asked which commandment is the greatest: 

36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).

The first four commandments are all about the vertical relationship between us and God, so loving the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, and mind is a summary of commandments 1-4. Similarly, commandments 5-10 are all about horizontal relationships, so the command to love our neighbors as ourselves is summarizing the second half of the Ten Commandments given to Moses. It’s probable that Jesus was reaffirming the initial mandates when answering the lawyer. 

Lawyer trying to test Jesus: “So which of the commandments is the most important?” 

Jesus: “I’ve gotta go with 1-4… but 5-10 shouldn’t be ignored either.” 

 Mmkay. Y’all probably already knew this take, but my mind was blown by this insight! 

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It’s important to reiterate that the keeping of the moral laws cannot earn us a spot in heaven (nor can we fully obey them due to our sinfulness- see Matthew 11 verses above). But we are urged to seek the glory of God by abiding in His commandments. As followers of Christ, we should long to keep in step with the rhythms and patterns God has laid out for us because of an overflow of His saving grace we have received (and our trusting in His supremely better ways). Not only are we supposed to obey God’s moral laws, but we are to delight in them (Psalm 119). His commands are loving, just, and for our good!

If we do not have the desires to please and obey God through the guidelines He has given us in Scripture, then it’s time to take an honest look into our spiritual lives and ask, “Who am I really worshipping?” This is a tough question and one we should investigate often.

In summary, we should strive to obey the Lord’s moral laws (like the Ten Commandments or God’s design for relationships)—not as a way to earn salvation but as a product of our salvation. We are freed from attempting to keep the civil and ceremonial laws given in Scripture (like any cleansing laws), because those were directed to a particular culture in a particular time…. and Jesus has fulfilled all cleansing laws through His death and resurrection. If you want to do more digging on this topic, this is a helpful article by R.C. Sproul.

A note: we all fall short. But there is so much grace and mercy waiting if we humble ourselves and submit to Jesus. He has paid the price for all of our shortcomings. Christ is enough to redeem every single broken part of our lives. All we must do is acknowledge our failures and surrender to Jesus as King! Let’s lay down our burdens and let Him lead. God’s plan is better than anything we could come up with on our own. Hallelujah, what a Savior. 

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How should I start studying the Bible?

“Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” –Charles Spurgeon

 Okay, we covered a lot of ground today. Maybe it all sounds overwhelming to you. I get that. So where do we go from here? 

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Here’s the thing I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: even Satan knows Scripture. He slightly twists the words to make them into something that is almost true, but not quite (therefore so do false teachers & the ungodly world). You can know a lot about God without really knowing God. In light of this, we must be diligent about studying the Word of God, meditating on it, and approaching our Bible reading while submitting to the Holy Spirit as our guide. We cannot understand on our own, but it is the Spirit who opens our eyes to truth. This is humbling, but also reassuring to anyone who truly calls on the name of the Lord as Savior. We can spot the counterfeit by knowing the real thing!

There are two main methods of Bible interpretation: eisegesis and exegesis. 

- Eisegesis: interpreting by imposing one’s own experiences into passages. This approach ends up being highly emotive and selective in nature. Stay away from this!

- Exegesis: interpreting by context. This is the method we want to use. We don’t just cherry-pick verses that we like (or ignore the ones we dislike), we must look at the full passages and study the framework in which the words are being written. 

So here’s my two cents for beginning to study the Bible: 

Get a hard copy (yes, it’s nice to have the apps on our phones, but studies show that we retain more if we read on tangible pages). I love my ESV study Bible (here is a similar one) but recommend NASB or NKJV also*. 

PRAY and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Remember that the Bible is not primarily about you; it’s about Jesus. 

Start reading John. Then go back and read the rest of the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke). Once you feel like you have a grasp of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus—then start reading the rest of the Bible (you can find reading plans online or read straight through) while keeping in mind that there are 66 books but one overarching story (everything points to Christ). God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit are all one. This should fire us up to learning and falling deeper in love with this incredible Triune God!

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Let’s keep writing the Word of God on our hearts and beholding the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. 

*You don’t have to read all the studies and commentaries, but there are some helpful ones out there. I have this one and love it, but have heard great things about this one as well!

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but somewhere along the way many pastors stopped talking about sin. In some sense, I get it. It’s kind of a downer to call someone out on their sin, and it doesn’t always fill up auditorium seats. So they choose popularity over Biblical theology. They sacrifice truth on the altar of perceived unity. They don’t want to offend or step on toes, so they water down the Gospel until it looks more like a “believe in yourself” message than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And then they replace Jesus with what they want Him to represent. Frankly, it’s not a good look. This form of ignorance cheapens the cross of Christ.

Here’s the fallout I’m noticing: the good news doesn’t seem so good if the bad news doesn’t seem so bad. To say it another way—if we don’t believe in our totally depraved sinful nature, then why would we need Jesus Christ? Why would God send people to hell if we’re all just doing the best we can?

The natural progression of not calling out sin for sin is an inaccurate view of love and hell. If we don’t have a devastating view of our innate sinfulness, then it’s no wonder we don’t understand the eternal devastation in store for those who reject Christ as Savior. It’s no surprise that the lies of universalism are sweeping over our churches. It’s no surprise that opinions are rampant while wisdom is scarce. It’s no surprise that these progressive idealists are laughing in the face of people who are holding firm to the Bible while calling us “bigoted Bible worshipers” and claim that “a loving God would never (fill in the blank here with anything that goes against culture).” 

While these messages that neglect to mention sin are honey for our (depraved & sinful) hearts, they are completely out of line with Truth. We must not fall in line with the world’s definitions of sin, love, Jesus, or eternity—regardless of the names we’ll inevitably be called for going against the grain.

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Christian women, pull up a seat. I want to speak directly to you for a moment. Because there are an extraordinary number of women’s books, conferences, and ministries that seem to be focusing on solutions to our self-esteem issues. They teach self-help, self-care, and self-love as a way to experience grace and freedom in this life.

Girls, we can wash our faces, dare greatly, and repeat the steps to be fierce and full of fire all we want—but these temporal methods will not save us. We do not have a self-esteem problem. We have a self-obsession problem. We have a SIN problem.

Lest I sound like I’m taking the moral high ground in some Pharisaical approach, let me assure you that I have none. I have read the books and tidied the closets and done the cleanses. I have discussed my Enneagram number at length and dissected my appearance and made the vain resolutions. It. all. comes. up. short. These things are not worthy of my devotion and they have never brought sufficiency. I am not just a sinner in need of a new haircut; I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I identify with Paul’s statement to Timothy, “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost" (1 Timothy 1:15). Until we repent and turn to Jesus as Lord, we are spinning our wheels in futility.

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I know this all may sound harsh to some of you. While I would love to hold hands and sing Kumbaya with all the people, I refuse to forsake the Gospel to do so. Jesus Himself says that there will be a separation between those who follow Him and those who love the world, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). James also writes about this division, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

So we have to step back and say, “What are we unifying in? Is it real and true or is it a false gospel?” On Christ the solid rock we must stand, all other ground is sinking sand. And we can know the real and true Christ by opening up His Word.

Maybe I’m being too blunt and repetitive these days, but for the love we cannot keep compromising the truths found in Scripture. I am not a Bible worshiper, but I am a Truth teller and there is only one real source of Truth: the Word of God.  

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So just in case no one has told you the truth lately, I’ll keep stepping on the toes. You are a sinner. If you do not have a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ then you “walk as [an enemy] of the cross of Christ” and destruction is your end (Philippians 3:18). You are not just kind of broken or messy-but-in-a-cute way, you are D-E-A-D in your sins apart from God. Jesus tells it like it is after casting out some demons, “Whoever is not with me is against me” (Luke 2:23). You don’t just have some quirky flaws; you are a child of wrath (see Ephesians 2:1&3). Your heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9), and there is nothing good that dwells in your flesh (Romans 7:18). The world, your flesh, and the father of lies (aka Satan) will entice you with compelling promises, which seems fun, because they will give you what you want: a life lived your way with utmost priority to your feelings. (You won’t be surprised to hear that I’m not on the “do whatever feels right” train.)

And yes, Jesus loves you unconditionally. You are fearfully and wonderfully made in His image (Psalm 139:14; Genesis 1:27). This is beautiful news, and I do not want to skip over this. Your life is valuable; it matters to me and it matters to God. But you are also dreadfully broken. Apart from Christ, we all are. I am not here to judge you, but I am here to tell you that God will. This is not a scare tactic; it’s just the honest-to-goodness truth. Unlike the narrative of the current culture, God’s love does not automatically mean approval. The Bible is clear: God hates sin (e.g. Proverbs 6), and He is perfectly righteous and holy. He is a jealous God who is after His glory (Exodus 20:5; Isaiah 43:7).

If you have no desire to live a holy life on earth, then what makes you think you would even enjoy heaven? Maybe you don’t actually want perfect holiness in heaven. You want fleeting happiness here on earth. Just a thought for anyone who blatantly disregards the Bible’s commands.

Listen, I’m not here to make you sit in self-pity or self-loathing. I don’t think that would be productive, and I really do care about your feelings. But I care more about where you spend eternity. I care more about loving you by telling you the truth. If I go to my doctor and he finds a life-threatening tumor, I want him to tell me about it. I don’t want him to smile at me and say, “You look perfectly healthy!” for the sake of my feelings. We need to know about this sin-disease we were all plagued with. 

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On the flip side, some of you might be all too familiar with your shortcomings and you might be sitting in guilt over something you’ve done. Lean in closely for this word: your sin is not too big for God. His grace is sufficient; His forgiveness is waiting for you. Drop your pile of baggage at His feet and let Jesus do the lifting. There is so much freedom waiting for you if you surrender it all to the King of kings. While God (through the Holy Spirit) does bring conviction, perpetual guilt is a tactic of the devil. Satan might try to convince you that there’s no way you could enter the presence of a perfect and holy God, but he is lying to you. The blood of Jesus has made the way and paid the price! If you “confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). But this confession and belief is not just a checklist to enter heaven, it’s a total heart replacement. It’s the regeneration of your entire life that Paul talks about in Ephesians:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:4-7).

Christians are a bunch of dead people that the Lord has brought to life. What in the actual world. Our lives should never be the same after this encounter. We do not keep on living the way we used to (because we were really dead in our sins all along, y’all). We do not haphazardly follow the ways of the world, the flesh, or the devil any longer. We submit to the higher and better Authority. This does not mean we no longer sin, but the Holy Spirit continuously convicts us of our sin, which brings about repentance.

An unrepentant Christ follower is an oxymoron, because God is constantly making His true disciples look more like Him. How amazing is that??

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I say all of this not to dwell on God’s disapprovals or the places He says “No,” but to highlight His better “Yes.” By grace, through faith. So yeah, the bad news is pretty bad: we’re all born depraved sinners destined for hell. But this bleak reality is what makes the good news so very good! God, in His great love and rich mercy, has made a way for all of us undeserving fools through the death and resurrection of His only Son—not just to experience true joy and sanctification here on earth, but to spend eternity rejoicing in Him. 

Oh, how He loves us.

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Friend, if you are living for yourself and your desires, come to the foot of the cross (If you don’t know if you are sinning or not in a particular area, look to Scripture. God has the answers, and He has revealed His will through the Bible). Ask forgiveness from the One who paid the price and turn from your old way of living. Start living for God who loves you so dearly. There is more forgiveness and grace waiting for you than you could ever imagine. Let go and let God take the wheel.

Following God and surrendering to Him as Savior will not be easy, but it will be worth it.

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Next time: I’ll be jumping back into my “Common Questions” series, which will be all about why we should believe the Bible and submit to it as authority—feel free to send me additional questions concerning this matter in the meantime!