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Continue reading →: An Overview of the Historical World of the Book of ActsHappy New Year! As we launch into 2026 I hope that you are as excited as I am to begin a new series as we go through the book of Acts. Before we begin to look to the scriptures, we are first going to do a brief overview of what…
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Continue reading →: Advent Week 4 – A Historical Theology of ChristmasWhat is Historical Theology Historical Theology is where we look at how our theology has developed since the inception of the Church. It’s the practical side of theology, and how that informs our beliefs – the outworkings of theology. Much of historical theology plays a role in how we understand…
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Continue reading →: Advent Week 3 – A Covenant Theology of ChristmasWhat is Covenant Theology A covenant is a legal agreement between two parties, one of which holds power over the other. It outlines the terms of the agreement and the consequences if the lesser party does not meet the terms of the agreement. In biblical times it was often finalized…
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Continue reading →: A Family Christmas Tree: RuthWho? Much like Rahab, Ruth is a fascinating character in scripture – so fascinating in fact that she has a whole book dedicated to a period of her life. Much like Rahab, Ruth was not originally a part of the Hebrew people – she was a Moabitess. This was a…
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Continue reading →: A Family Christmas Tree: RahabWho? Who is this woman who is a part of the family tree of Jesus. Rahab is an interesting character, and she is an example of how being a part of the community of God’s people was never limited to only the Hebrew people. We are given several details about…
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Continue reading →: Advent Week 2 – A Systematic Theology of ChristmasWhat is Systematic Theology With each week of our Advent study, I want to be sure that I clearly define what I’m talking about when referencing the different types of theology. During the first week of Advent, we discussed how we see the study of God building on itself through…
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Continue reading →: A Family Christmas Tree: AbrahamWho? Abraham is the father of the Hebrew nation. He left his home in Ur of the Chaldeans to travel to Canaan with his wife, Sarai (who would become known as Sarah) and his nephew Lot along with both their households (Genesis 12). As the first of the three men…
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Continue reading →: A Family Christmas Tree: AdamGenesis 1:26-30; Genesis 2-3; Romans 5:12 Who Was Adam? Adam is the first man. His name being the Hebrew word for “man” – showing all kinds of imagination. Adam and Eve were the pinnacle of God’s creation, made on the sixth day, and were given dominion over every living thing.…
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Continue reading →: Advent Week 1 – A Biblical Theology of ChristmasWhat is Biblical Theology It’s almost funny to try and define Biblical Theology, because of course, theology should be biblical. But what we mean when we use the term biblical theology is that we are looking at how our understanding of who God is has developed over the course of…
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Continue reading →: Why are We Leaving the Church?Before we get too far into this blog I want to make a few things clear. People are leaving….why? People Are Leaving….Why? This is just my opinion, but I think we all recognize that people are leaving churches. Specifically, people are noticing that middle and younger millennials are leaving, and…
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Continue reading →: Apologetics and StudentsI think we have a problem in our children and youth ministry… What problem is that you ask? Well, I don’t think we are taking the education of our children seriously when it comes to spiritual development. Curriculum is a great tool to utilize in Sunday school classrooms, but it…
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Continue reading →: Paying for Higher EducationThere are a great many questions that students are hit with as they are attempting to figure out what their next steps are after high school. Do they go to college, trade school, enlist, or do they go straight into the workforce. No matter what their choice, there are always…
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Continue reading →: The College Search ProcessProbably one of the most stressful times in a student’s life is going to be when they are considering what they are going to do after they graduate. Who can really blame them? People begin asking what their plans are, and when you are seventeen or eighteen years old, no…
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Continue reading →: Catechisms – Should I Utilize Them?In many ways the western church has taken the public school approach to our faith and spiritual formation – in other words, societally we hand the education of our children over to someone else. This doesn’t mean that all parents are uninvolved – my parents were very involved in my…
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Continue reading →: Children’s Church – Should Churches Have It?Before we get into this I want to be clear that I am not a parent. However, I am someone who has served in children’s ministry, has a background in education, and has a VERY high opinion of the role that parents are supposed to play in the spiritual and…
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Continue reading →: Choosing Your Group Bible StudyTher are two phases of Bible Study selection that almost every group leader goes through. Phase One is the excitement of all the options you have to choose from. Phase Two is feeling overwhelmed by all the different options you have to choose from. Selecting a Bible Study doesn’t have…
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Continue reading →: Recruiting VolunteersIf you have been in church for any length of time, you have probably been recruited at some point to work in some area of the church. Serving is a part of being a member, and finding a place to serve that you enjoy is important to having that feeling…
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Continue reading →: Selecting Your BibleWe have a bit of time in between our Bible Studies we’ve been working through this year and the start of our Advent studies, so I decided to take the next few months and share my opinions on a few different topics. Please note that I’m not endorsed by any…
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Continue reading →: Bible Translation Theory & the Difference Between “Translation” & “Version”Have you ever been in a Bible study or in a church service, and heard the pastor read from a passage or project it onto a big screen and think to yourself, “That looks different from mine”? You wouldn’t be alone. Likely, there are two possible reasons for that. One,…
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Continue reading →: Ezra 10 – Return: The Painful Reality of Facing SinI really had to take some time to think my way through this post. I think we have all realized that sin does not only affect the person who is committing the sin, but that there are always ripple effects that affect others. We see this all the time. Sin…
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Continue reading →: John 21 – These Are Written That You May BelieveWe have now reached the final chapter of John. I have so enjoyed being on this journey with you as we have road tripped through the Gospel of John. Hopefully, you have been reading along and have enjoyed reading these posts as much as I have enjoyed writing them. Although…
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Continue reading →: Ezra 8 & 9 – Return: A New Generation Addressing Sins of the Past“Those who do not learn from the past are condemned to repeat it” – George Santayana. History has always been one of my favorite subjects. I love being able to read about what was happening to people in books, politics, religion, travel, day-to-day life, and how they were expressing themselves…
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Continue reading →: John 20- He Is Risen IndeedAlthough we refer to it as Good Friday, it was a dark, dark day. But Sunday was coming. And now Sunday is here! Sunday Morning The disciples are now in the middle of what is probably the most stressful situation of their life. Jesus is dead and buried, and the…
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Continue reading →: Ezra 7 – Return: God Goes BeforeUp through this point of Ezra, we have more or less been given a history lesson of what happened as an overview and is gone into more detail in other books of the Bible, such as Daniel, Zechariah, and Haggai. Now, we are moving on to what actually happens during…
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Continue reading →: John 19 – The CrucifixionBut he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds. – Isaiah 53:5 (CSB) It Is Finished There was no dignity with crucifixion – and for Jesus it was no different. He was…
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Continue reading →: Ezra 5&6 – Return: While God is WorkingSometimes, I look at what is happening and I wonder what God is going to do with everything that is happening. How is it all going to work? When am I going to see the results of his plan? Reasonably, there are all thoughts that we have. As finite beings,…
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Continue reading →: Ezra 4- Return: Lessons from ScrewtapeWhen I was in fourth grade, my teacher would read to us when we came back from lunch and recess. These books were all different, but the one that has always stood out in my mind was The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. I liked the book so much,…
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Continue reading →: John 18 – Trials, Denials, & What is TruthI’m a planner. If you were to ask me what my Myers-Briggs Personality Type is, I’d be an INTJ-A aka the Architect. I want to know what is coming my way, and how I can plan for the bad things. I want to know that there are alternative plans for…
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Continue reading →: Ezra 3 – Return: Where, Why, and How to WorshipFall semester of my final year of college, I needed to take an arts class that fell within the heading of my major. This was supposed to be a class that wouldn’t require too much head space, and would be easy for me to get through – you know the…
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Continue reading →: John 17 – Jesus’ PrayerAs we have been continuing our journey through the Gospel of John, we are seeing how John demonstrates the change in tone of Jesus’ teaching. Where previously he had been performing miracles, traveling, and speaking in figurative language to make those listening think more deeply about what he said, Jesus…
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Continue reading →: Ezra 2 – Return: What’s In A NameOne of the things that I enjoy doing is going up to Swedesburg, IA every so often and looking through the archives. Stored there is my family tree on my father’s side. My father’s family is one of the founding families of the town, and they have kept excellent records…
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Continue reading →: John 16- Joy & SorrowAs we have been continuing through the Gospel of John, we once again see Jesus teaching on what it means to follow him. While in Chapter 15 Jesus taught how people were going to recognize Christians, in Chapter 16 he really begins to teach on what the cost is. The…
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Continue reading →: Ezra 1 – Return: Through the HeartAn Introduction To Ezra Welcome to the beginning of our study on the book of Ezra! I’m so excited to be working through this lovely book with you. I wanted to begin this study with some historical background, so we can all be on the same page as we are…
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Continue reading →: John 15 – Gardening, Friendship, and NOT Easy StreetAs we move into the next chapter of John (Chapter 15), we see more and more of the literary talent that John brings to his Gospel. John does a good of job of displaying the theological nature of who Jesus is, and drawing those connections between the Old and New…
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Continue reading →: Nehemiah 13:4-30: Orthopraxy & OrthodoxyThere is an age old argument that goes a little something like this: does what you believe influence what you do, or does what you do influence what you believe? When we break that question down, what we come up with is actually two different thoughts. Thought One: I believe…
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Continue reading →: John 14 – The Trinity and Trying to Avoid HeresyI don’t know about you, but I always get a little nervous when it comes to attempting to explain the Trinity. It isn’t that I have an aversion to it, but it isn’t a topic that is fully understood, and we do not see the terminology used in Scripture. What…
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Continue reading →: Nehemiah 11-13:3 – God is Not a God of ChaosHave you ever been in a room and watched someone come in and just saw chaos ensue. I had the experience not long ago when I saw a family with children of various ages enter a gather I was at. While the over atmosphere previous had been relatively laid back,…
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Continue reading →: John 13 – Foot WashingHave you ever had to do a chore that you absolutely hated? You know the one that I’m talking about. It is the one that gets you hot, sweaty, its just plain nasty to do, and there are other people who could do it, but they aren’t going to so…
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Continue reading →: Nehemiah 10 – Committed to GodDifferent words and phrases are going to mean different things to different people depending on their context. Nuance also matters as a part of this discussion. When we are talking about our commitment that we are called to have to God for the purposes of this post, I am are…
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Continue reading →: Nehemiah 9 – God’s CharacterI can’t speak for anyone else, but some times life is hard. There are things that happen that are out of my control. Some times those things make facing anew day difficult, and some times they make me question what the future is going to look like. I’m old enough…
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Continue reading →: John 12 – Green Flags, God Fearers, & MissionIn the last few years it has almost become a joke to talk about someone’s green, beige, yellow, or red flags. And don’t get me wrong, its definitely important to be able to identify when there are markers for problems to come. Let’s just be honest and say that we…
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Continue reading →: Nehemiah 8 – The Purpose of the Public Reading of ScriptureIf I were to ask what your favorite part of a worship service is, what would you say? Would it be the decorations? The choir? Is it the greeting (I once heard someone call it the “Hug and Howdy”) of the other church attenders? Do you enjoy the music? Could…
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Continue reading →: John 11 – Lazarus“Why?” That is probably the question that comes to mind when we are facing a tragedy. Why did God let this happen? Why didn’t he prevent it? Why, if God is in control does he allow these bad things to happen? Why does it seem that those who are doing…
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Continue reading →: Nehemiah 7 – Consistency is KeyWhen I hear the word “consistency” I always think of the Tortoise and the Hare from the fables of Aesop. I don’t think of the adage that slow and steady wins the race, but I do think about the “steady” part – how it is an ongoing, plodding along that…
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Continue reading →: The Good Shepherd – John 10It seems like no matter where you look, there is an animal that we can be compared to. We see this in horoscopes, the Chinese calendar, and in business training. For the record, I’m a Scorpio, born in the year of the horse, and was taught to sell like a…
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Continue reading →: Nehemiah 6 – Knowing the Enemy’s StrategyIf you ever have the opportunity to work for a company that is working to grow, you are likely going to hear talk about a strategic plan. Many organizations have some kind of plan to both manage and plan for their growth. When I was working for a small Christian…
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Continue reading →: John 9 – Suffering, Sin, and SightOne of my favorite hymns is Amazing Grace. There have been several iterations of it over the years, but my favorite is always the one that you will find in the hymnal. It always reminds me of how sweet grace is, that it is only by God’s grace that we…
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Continue reading →: John 8 – Light of the World
I think we can all look at the world and say that there is evil. Crime runs rampant; countries are at war for petty reasons, people are discriminated against because of the color of their skin or for where their ancestors come from; and murder is justified by inconvenience. But…
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Continue reading →: John 7 – Incognito
Have you ever just wanted to be anonymous? To be able to go and do something without anyone knowing who you are, where you work, or where you live? I have. At a previous job I had in a small college town, there were multiple alumni that remained in the…
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Continue reading →: John 6 – Two More Signs
I am a stubborn individual. Once I set my mind on something, there is very little that is going to dissuade me from path I’ve set out on. It doesn’t matter what roadblocks appear, I put my head down and plow forward. There are two sides to this personality trait…
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Continue reading →: A Family Christmas Tree: Zerubbabel
Who? When it comes to Zerubbabel, we piece together who he is because there aren’t any biblical accounts that are dedicated specifically to him. In the Old Testament we are introduced to the book of Haggai, when the prophet Haggai is sent to Zerubbable to speak tohim when the Hebrews…
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Continue reading →: A Family Christmas Tree: Josiah
Who? King Josiah is the boy king. That is probably the biggest thing that he is known for, and we can read his story for ourselves in II Chronicles 34. While as a boy Josiah became the king of Israel, his life paints a picture of what it truly means…
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Continue reading →: A Family Christmas Tree: Hezekiah
Who is Hezekiah? Hezekiah was one of the kings of Judah, and therefore one of the descendents of King David. Although not of the same renown in Sripture as some of the other members of Christ’s family tree, he is a very important character in the overall story of God’s…
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Continue reading →: A Family Christmas Tree: David
Who? Who is David? David is probably one of the most famous of the family tree of Jesus, having been immortalized as the youth who took down the giant Goliath of Gath. He also happens to have been etched in marble by Leonardo DaVinci. But David, like we have seen…
I’m Rachael
Welcome to Road Trippin with Rachael, where I share Bible Studies, Living Life, and my adventures out on the road. I’m always happy to chat about the Bible and share God with anyone who wants to go deeper in His word.
Road Trippin With Rachael 