The Rambling Disciple

What is your favorite way to describe God? Is there a particular name of God in scripture that you are drawn to? What images and pictures come to mind when you think of God? These are questions I don't think we ask often enough. We all have an image of God in our heads that we work with. It may not be a literal picture, though it might be, but ideas and concepts we tend to associate with who God is. Some of those images and associations may come from the Bible, but some may not. These things are influenced by our upbringing, Bible reading habits, personalities, relationships, culture, and more. The way we picture God has a dramatic impact on the way we live our lives. For example, if the primary idea you have of God is "Healer," when you hear or read that you are made in God's image you will likely feel called to heal, be it physical ailments or spiritual wounds. But, if your primary image of God is "Judge," that changes things. You very likely might tend to

One of the most common questions I have heard in the context of Bible classes and small group discussions is "How does this apply to us?" Or it comes in a comment like "I think this applies to my life by..." Generally speaking, if a sermon or lesson is not obviously "applicable" then it isn't considered good. If the topic does not have something to say specifically about my life, struggles, situation, or context then it is of no use. Applicability is a double edged sword, in my opinion. We obviously want the lessons and sermons we hear in church or the devotional books we read at home to speak to our lives. Every time I teach or preach I want the people I am speaking to come away with something that helps them in their walk with Christ. I want to be "applicable." The double edge is that I think we too narrowly and selfishly use the term "applicable," hence my use of quotes. When someone complains that a lesson or sermon isn't &q