Bible
-
As an English teacher living in Japan, it’s rather commonplace to discuss the differences in communication styles between the U.S. and Japan. And let me tell you, there are many. But, I feel like most of my students (and fellow teachers) talk about these differences as if one is better than the other. So, in…
-
It’s finally the Christmas and holiday season. It’s so easy to get caught up in the commercialism of Christmas and gift shopping. With Black Friday sales, “Christmas lists,” Santa Claus, Christmas lights, decorations, Mariah Carey…Christmas really feels like one giant spectacle of commercialism these days. It’s a little hard for me to deal with sometimes,…
-
Truth be told, this is actually my second Sunday Chapel Time study that covers this section of James 1. However, I think this is the better study of the two (in my humble opinion), so it gets to be posted first. But first: a little background information. Introduction to James The author is traditionally thought…
-
This Sunday Chapel Time study is based on a passage from the Gospel of Matthew. A fellow missionary of mine led another study about how our words—good or bad—come from the heart. This study is going to expand on that idea. Let’s first think about the context of this passage in Matthew 15. The Pharisees…
-
Ecclesiastes is actually a book I really enjoy because it’s so unlike the other books in the Bible. It’s part of what contemporary Bible scholars consider to be the “wisdom literature” of the Bible, along with Proverbs and Job. So naturally, it’s full of wisdom. But the three books talk about wisdom in very different…
-
What do you think of when you hear, “Sunday Chapel Time?” It just sounds like a roundabout way to talk about a Sunday church service, right? Well, here at Shukugawa Bible Church, it actually refers to an hour-long bilingual Bible study that is co-led by an English teacher-missionary and a translator. As a missionary here,…
-
Sin. Holiness. Grace. We see and hear these words in church and in the Bible all the time, but they’re pretty difficult to understand. What even is sin? What does it mean to be holy? And don’t even get me started on grace. Let’s take a deeper look at the meaning of these words in…
-
It’s November 8th, 2020, and there’s a new President and Vice President-Elect: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. It is no secret that I do not support Trump or the behavior that his leadership has encouraged among his followers. His presidency has stirred up the racism, fear, and hatred that has existed in the U.S. for…
-
You’ve heard it before. We’ve all heard it before. Reading the Bible is important. It’s the Word of God—the only reliable way to hear God speak and to know God. How can we know God’s truth if we don’t read it? It makes sense, right? But it’s easier said than done. The Bible isn’t exactly…