Recommendations, Christian Living, Culture, Death, Faith, Finance, Science, Theology
John Beeson
This Week's Recommendations

  1. The grief we learn to carry: Stacy MacLaren says, “Grief research has given us language for something grieving people have known in their bones forever: losing someone you deeply love isn't like sustaining an injury that eventually disappears once you've healed correctly. Grief is, in part, a massive act of learning.”

  2. Some of the strangest Old Testament laws and what they mean: Christine Palmer explains, ““You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes” (Lev. 19:26). To remain in right standing with the Lord, under no circumstances may the cove­nant people eat meat with its blood,

This Week's Recommendations
Biblical Studies, Christian Living, Faith
John Beeson
Saul, the Witch at En-dor, and the Will of God

Do ghosts exist? Do we have access to the spirit world? If so, what does that mean for our spiritual life? The bizarre story of Saul and the Medium at En-Dor, while challenging, addresses these questions.

 

At the heart of this text is a critical question: will you obey God?

Here is the story:

The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him,

Saul, the Witch at En-dor, and the Will of God
Faith, Fear, Prayer
John Beeson
Come, You Who Are Anxious

Anxiety comes in many shapes and forms. Do you ever have a feeling of dread? Does your chest ever tighten in fear? Do you feel like you can’t slow down your mind?

How can we escape anxiety’s clutches? Let’s look at how Jesus responds to those gripped by fear.

Jesus first points us to the sovereignty of God. As Jesus departs the upper room where he and his disciples ate the Last Supper and he stooped and washed their feet, the hearts of the eleven were in turmoil. Jesus had shared the frightening news that Judas had allowed Satan to enter his heart and that Peter would deny him

Come, You Who Are Anxious
Recommendations, Consumerism, Culture, Faith, Fear, Finance
John Beeson
This Week's Recommendations

  1. Why the internet is making men and women hate each other: Samuel James writes, “We’re on the threshold of a vicious cycle. Men and women are declining relationships with each other, which means they are more likely to be suckered in by the algorithmic gender silo. But the more they take in a biased, imbalanced view of the other, the less interested they are in relationship.”

  2. Mutant virtues: Jacob Crouch says, “These mutant virtues parade themselves out in the public square as though they are the real thing. So-called justice, instead of being the righteousness of God on display,

This Week's Recommendations
Christian Living, Family, Marriage, Relationships, Science, Wisdom
John Beeson
Seasons of Marriage

You are on a date night with your wife, observing the people around you.

“First date?” you ask. “For sure!” she says, noticing the telltale signs. The young lady carries a single rose. The young man is a little nervous. They are slightly overdressed for the restaurant. Eyes locked, their attention is rapt on one another. Cell phones never make an appearance.

 Young love.

A mom and dad in their late thirties burst into the restaurant with three boisterous children guffawing at a joke. They divide and conquer: dad takes the two boys to the bathroom while mom settles herself and their daughter into the chair.

Seasons of Marriage

Recommendations

, , , , , , ,

This Week's Recommendations

, , , , , , ,
This Week's Recommendations

  1. The grief we learn to carry: Stacy MacLaren says, “Grief research has given us language for something grieving people have known in their bones forever: losing someone you deeply love isn't like sustaining an injury that eventually disappears once you've healed correctly. Grief is, in part, a massive act of learning.”

  2. Some of the strangest Old Testament laws and what they mean: Christine Palmer explains, ““You shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it. You shall not interpret omens or tell fortunes” (Lev. 19:26). To remain in right standing with the Lord, under no circumstances may the cove­nant people eat meat with its blood,

, , , , ,

This Week's Recommendations

, , , , ,
This Week's Recommendations

  1. Why the internet is making men and women hate each other: Samuel James writes, “We’re on the threshold of a vicious cycle. Men and women are declining relationships with each other, which means they are more likely to be suckered in by the algorithmic gender silo. But the more they take in a biased, imbalanced view of the other, the less interested they are in relationship.”

  2. Mutant virtues: Jacob Crouch says, “These mutant virtues parade themselves out in the public square as though they are the real thing. So-called justice, instead of being the righteousness of God on display,

, , , ,

This Week's Recommendations

, , , ,
This Week's Recommendations

  1. The exhaustion that comes from chasing rest: Aimee Joseph begins, “Americans are notorious for needing vacations from their vacations. We work extra hours to save up an exorbitant amount of money so that we can plan an extended vacation for rest. During this “restful” vacation, we try to see all the sites, snap all the pics for all the posts, and eat at all the highest-rated restaurants. If our step counts outpace our spending, we have succeeded!”

  2. Are you as connected to the church as you want to be? Benjamin Vrbicek says, “The biggest wet blanket in ministry

, , ,

This Week's Recommendations

, , ,
This Week's Recommendations

  1. Six lies culture wants you to believe about aging: Jen Wilkin says, “The Bible instructs that aging is a completion, a deepening of identity. Older men and women are presented as the repositories of a generational wealth that can only be built by the passage of time and, in the case of the believer, by the work of the Spirit.”

  2. The first conspiracy theory and the dangers of hidden knowledge: Rachel Suffern says, “Rather than providing power that elevated men to the status of God, the knowledge of good and evil gave humans a choice between competing forces much stronger than they were capable of mastering.

, , , , ,

This Week's Recommendations

, , , , ,
This Week's Recommendations

  1. Are therapists to blame for the rise of adults cutting off their parents? Elizabeth Bernstein on a concerning issue I’ve posted on (see here), “After decades of urging families to communicate better and work on their issues together, some therapists are now taking an opposite tack: They’re encouraging estrangement as a means of self-care.”

  2. Wrestling with “Your will be done”: Kirsten Black says, “We can learn to process this pain and disappointment as a form of lament. God invites his children to cry out to him over and over. It rarely, if ever, will look like praying one time and the pain is resolved. Rather, it is approaching the throne of grace time and time again, knowing that our Father is good and kind, even though the circumstances of our lives feel anything but.”

, , , ,

This Week's Recommendations

, , , ,
This Week's Recommendations

  1. You called it wisdom. Jesus called it wicked: Christopher Cook says, “I want you to understand that the third servant we’re talking about (from the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25) isn’t some distant villain; he’s a person who received a genuine gift, accurately calculated the cost of full investment, and decided the risk wasn’t worth the exposure…

  2. The holy work of hello: Stacy MacLaren says, “It may not look particularly spiritual, but I believe that some of the holiest work happening on a Sunday morning begins long before anyone opens a Bible app or sings the first note of a worship song….”

, , ,

This Week's Recommendations

, , ,
This Week's Recommendations

  1. What it means that Christ is praying for you today: Dave Harvey says, “Now, because of our Advocate, we receive what Christ deserved: a full hearing before our loving Father. We are not beggars hoping heaven might notice us. We are beloved children invited to make our requests known to God (Phil. 4:6). Christ was forsaken so we could be heard. His advocacy means our prayers reach the throne.”

  2. One at a time: Andrea Sanborn wants us to consider something about how Jesus performed his miracles, “Most of his healing miracles were simply performed for one person.

, ,

The Bee Hive In Video

, ,
The Bee Hive In Video

Greetings, faithful readers!

Do you know that we publish The Bee Hive in video and podcast form? Check out The Bee Hive’s playlist on New Life Bible Fellowship’s YouTube page or search for New Life Bible Fellowship on whatever podcast platform you use.

Here are a few samples of the videos on YouTube. Enjoy!

The threat of passivity
 The croucher
Why we don’t trust pastors

, , ,

This Week's Recommendations

, , ,
This Week's Recommendations

  1. Let me dwell in your tent forever: Wes Bredenhof explains how to understand David’s cry  in Psalm 61:4, “Let me dwell in your tent forever!” “Now here’s an important detail about the tabernacle:  no one was allowed to dwell in it.  It was God’s dwelling and God alone.  By God’s command, the High Priest came into the Most Holy Place once per year.”

  2. The body keeps score. But the mind and heart do too: Beth Claes says, “Being a Christian doesn’t prevent trauma or eliminate body-mind responses to it. But recognizing that God created us with an interconnected body, mind, and heart informs how we understand trauma

, , , ,

This Week's Recommendations

, , , ,
This Week's Recommendations

  1. Why so many of us claim to be ‘not very happy’: Jen Oshman says, “Herein lies the fundamental reason happiness feels out of reach: We tend to aim for the wrong kind of happiness. Most Americans aim for happiness, which, unbeknownst to them, can be shaken or taken.”

  2. Three ways to lead your boss: Simple advice Eric Geiger draws from Nehemiah’s story, “If you want more credibility with your leader, don’t be the perpetually sad person, care about what your leader cares about, and be really clear.”

Sign up to get The Bee Hive delivered to your inbox and receive a free 50 Books That Changed My Life (and Might Change Yours, Too) download!