Word work is hard work.
Examining the text of Scripture, drilling down into it to find the hidden treasure—the Holy Spirit-intended meaning and implications—is hard work. So why do that work? Why not simply grab something from the text and put together a talk that is interesting, engaging, and funny, that connects with the felt needs of those we’re speaking to? Why invest ourselves in the hard work of figuring out the biblical author’s intended aim and then making that the aim of our talk?
On this episode of Help Me Teach the Bible, you’ll hear my answer to that question, a recording of a live presentation to about 40 women Bible teachers who gathered in Sydney, Australia, for the day we called “Help Me Teach the Bible.” We looked together at Colossians 1:24–29, where Paul presents what drove him in his Word ministry. Paul saw himself as a steward of a divine mystery he wanted to uncover for those he was teaching. It’s this same sense of stewardship that drives us to do the work of exposition today.
Free eBook by Rebecca McLaughlin: ‘Jesus Through the Eyes of Women’
If the women who followed Jesus could tell you what he was like, what would they say?
Jesus’s treatment of women was revolutionary. That’s why they flocked to him. Wherever he went, they sought him out. Women sat at his feet and tugged at his robes. They came to him for healing, for forgiveness, and for answers. So what did women see in this first-century Jewish rabbi and what can we learn as we look through their eyes today?
In Jesus Through the Eyes of Women, Rebecca McLaughlin explores the life-changing accounts of women who met the Lord. By entering the stories of the named and unnamed women in the Gospels, this book gives readers a unique lens to see Jesus as these women did and marvel at how he loved them in return.
We’re delighted to offer this ebook to you for free.
