Dave’s blog at giffmex.org

Matthew 5.23-30
vv. 23-26: Expectation #19: I WILL TREAT RECONCILIATION WITH THOSE I HAVE OFFENDED AS SUCH AN URGENT PRIORITY THAT I WILL SEE GENUINE WORSHIP AS AN IMPOSSIBILITY UNTIL I HAVE DONE ALL THAT IS POSSIBLE TO RESTORE BROKEN RELATIONSHIPS. (Kind of a repeat of #13, but this raises the stakes a bit in that [...]

Hey three and a half readers of this blog:
LOGOS Bible software has just re-vamped their blog and they are giving away the Cornerstone Commentry on Matthew and Mark for a very short time to those who order it. Check out the details at http://blog.logos.com/. And remember where you heard it from…

Matthew 5.13-22
5.13: I have some nagging questions about this verse. What property of salt is Jesus referring to? I’m guessing flavor, since it talks about saltiness. But saltiness is a metaphor for what aspect of a person? In what way are we the salt of the earth? Do we give the world its flavor? In [...]

In my continuing goal to scan the NT looking for all the moral expectations it has of me, I now arrive at the Sermon on the Mount. It will be slow going here for a while. Don’t expect the posts to cover two chapters each, like the last two posts!
Matthew 5.1-12
First, a word about 5.3-6: [...]

In my last post, I set myself the objective of working my way through the New Testament, taking note of every moral requirement. My motives for doing this are to be more intentional about re-shaping my life according to biblical principles, and to write about the issues with candor and, if possible, some humor. That [...]

Maybe it’s a midlife crisis, I don’t know. But I feel like my life is in a rut. I’m a missionary, but how good am I at being a Christian? Would my life look different if I was really obedient to everything the Bible says?
So for obedience’s sake, and for a little fun along the [...]

One of my many unfinished projects is to go through the Bible and jot down the questions that I have of the various passages: what do they mean, how are they to be lived out. These questions will form the basis for further study. I am hoping that making them a blog project will accomplish [...]

Many people think Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day, but actually Independence Day is celebrated in September. Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, an important battle in Mexico’s history.
When we went to Mexico in 2005 we assumed Cinco de Mayo would be a big deal. But it was actually [...]

I woke up with a number of philosophical thoughts echoing from my unusually vivid dreams this morning. I figured the three and a half readers of this blog might help me sort them out in the comments section. The main thought on my mind as I woke up was this dilemma: Should I be pouring [...]

I am cleaning up the Gospels class I teach at the seminary, and one session is on the parables. So I am enjoying Klyne Snodgrass’ brand new book on the parables, Stories with Intent. This book is a masterpiece and a must for anyone thinking about preaching the parables. Snodgrass’ section on the parable of [...]