Estudos Bíblicos

It wasn’t that long ago that my seven-year-old grandson got mad at me for not letting him play more video games. In an attempt to get me to change my mind, he said, “Nana, I’m going to hold my breath until you let me play.  With that, he took a deep breath, puffed out his cheeks, and began his breath-holding standoff. In response, I gave him a big smile, took out my phone and said, “Ok, I’ll time you!” While grandparenting is super fun and easygoing the majority of the time, sometimes, unexpected conflicts arise. The important thing to remember is, most conflicts can be handled calmly and confidently. We just need a few tools to help us navigate this wonderful season of grandparenthood. In this post, we’ll look at 7 conflicts you didn’t expect to face as a grandparent, and how to hand...

It’s still so hard for me to wrap my mind around the reality that COVID-19 has flipped our world upside down. Living in California, we are watching the restrictions on daily life grow tighter and tighter. It seems unreal, like a scary movie. We are undoubtedly witnessing history in the making. Years from now, scholars and historians will analyze the effects of COVID-19 on our society, economy, mental health, physical health, and our spirituality. In many ways, the world has been caught by surprise. But God most certainly has not. Even in the midst of chaos, make no mistake, God is at work. His plans will not be thwarted and his people will not be overcome. Here are 4 signs God is at work in the chaos of COVID-19. Greater Openness to the Gospel History has shown that people are more open to...

Eu quero então conversar um pouco com você sobre este assunto da mais alta importância nos dias de hoje, que é a ansiedade, como vencer a ansiedade? eu sei que a ansiedade é talvez o problema mais democrático da nossa geração, atinge crianças, jovens, velhos, ricos, pobres, doutores, analfabetos, gente religiosa e gente não religiosa, como é que a gente lida com isso? o apóstolo Paulo escrevendo a sua carta aos filipenses diz assim, não andeis ansiosos de coisa alguma, em tudo porém sejam conhecidas diante de Deus as vossas orações pela súplica com ações de graças, e a paz de Deus que excede todo o entendimento, guardará o vosso coração e a vossa mente em cristo Jesus; a ansiedade é exatamente você se ocupar antecipadamente de um problema que ainda não está acontecendo, é como você sofrer...

3. It’s a Combination of Scripture and Artistic License The Chosen includes scenes and dialogue directly from Scripture, but it also includes scenes and dialogue not in the Bible. Viewers learn on the opening scroll it is “based on the true stories of the gospels of Jesus Christ.” Some locations and timelines “have been combined or condensed” and “backstories and some characters or dialogue have been added.”  “However,” the scroll says, “all biblical and historical context and any artistic imagination are designed to support the truth and intention of the Scriptures.” Jenkins, who created the concept for the series, emphasized he is someone who “believes absolutely in the Word of God.”  Similar to Bible-themed movies like The Nativity Story and Risen, The...

A crisis can bring out the best in people, or it can bring out the worst. We’ve all seen examples of the worst. A friend of mine, Steve, was in an international airport trying to get home on the very day the borders were closed in Europe from COVID-19. He saw a lot of the worst. Wall to wall people jockeying for position. Customers screaming at the top of their lungs. People cutting in line, trampling those who were too slow, weak, or encumbered to keep up. Steve saw a military mom traveling by herself with a kid strapped to her back and four other young ones in tow. “Why is everybody cutting in front of me?” she cried as desperation gave way to despair. But no one heard her or cared. My friend thought, “I can’t fix the rest of this mess, but maybe I can help her.”  So, he d...