As a follow-up to this past Sunday’s class on trees as 'types and shadows,' consider this short, impactful exchange from the book of Judges. These events took place after the death of Gideon, when his son, Abimelech, who was born to one of Gideon’s concubines, had murdered his half brothers and proclaimed himself king. One brother escaped and proclaimed divine judgment on Abimelech. His use of the ‘trees’ metaphor fits well with our Sunday discussion, and the whole thing reminds us just how important justice and life are to our God. As Jesus said, “all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Mt. 26:52)

- Dan Lankford, minister

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“[Jotham] went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, ‘Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, “Reign over us.” But the olive tree said to them, “Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honored, and go hold sway over the trees?” And the trees said to the fig tree, “You come and reign over us.” But the fig tree said to them, “Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go hold sway over the trees?” And the trees said to the vine, “You come and reign over us.” But the vine said to them, “Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go hold sway over the trees?” Then all the trees said to the bramble, “You come and reign over us.” And the bramble said to the trees, “If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.”

Now therefore, if you acted in good faith and integrity when you made Abimelech king, and if you have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house and have done to him as his deeds deserved— for my father fought for you and risked his life and delivered you from the hand of Midian, and you have risen up against my father's house this day and have killed his sons, seventy men on one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his female servant, king over the leaders of Shechem, because he is your relative— if you then have acted in good faith and integrity with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech and devour the leaders of Shechem and Beth-millo; and let fire come out from the leaders of Shechem and from Beth-millo and devour Abimelech.” (Judges 9:7-21)

It often takes more strength to be properly gentle. We’ve all seen a child struggling to open a bag of chips, knowing that when the bag finally gives way, chips will fly everywhere. But give that same bag of chips to an adult with stronger hands, and a gentle approach can be taken that doesn’t damage or waste anything.

The same is true with relationships. Young husbands and wives are often guilty of naively wanting to attack some tension in their relationship head-on. The intent is good, but when they lack the emotional strength to be properly gentle to their spouse, things tend to blow up. However, given time and experience to increase their maturity, they gain a new kind of strength to handle such things gently and effectively.

The same is true with leadership. Whether it’s at work, in the community, in the military, or in a church of God’s people, leaders who lack strength often over-extend the strength that they do have. They end up approaching delicate situations with harshness, brashness, and an effort to control rather than with gentle convictions and character-filled influence. This sort of behavior wounds followers and cripples the leader’s credibility.

Gentleness was Christ’s way in dealings with those who truly sought to know him and his heart (cf. 2 Cr. 10:1). It is part of the fruit that our lives bear when the Spirit of God abides in us (Gl. 5:23). And it ought to be part of the default settings for how Christians treat each other (Ep. 4:1-3). Both cowardice and harshness can stem from a place of weakness, and both of them can do their own kinds of damage (cf. Mt. 27:24, Ez. 34:4). But it takes some serious strength of character to hold together two of a Christian’s most important personal traits: conviction AND gentleness.

- Dan Lankford, minister

“And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that you should not be their slaves.” (Lev. 26:12-13)

The Exodus story is simple, yet it’s anything but simplistic. The complexity and beauty of the story is the kind of thing that a person could study for a lifetime and always be able to find fresh insights and teachings in it. Even the Ten Commandments, while they might seem like basic principles, have far-reaching wisdom as they reveal the very heart of God. They, along with the entire Exodus arc, are one of the main areas of the Bible where God has revealed a large picture of his nature and his plan to save and bless humanity.

I pray that our preaching theme for this year has been a blessing to you. I pray that it’s helping us all expand our view of God’s scheme to redeem mankind. I pray that it’s helping us see how we should rightfully respond to him—with humility, gratitude, awe, and obedience. I pray that it’s helping us to clearly see and sincerely embrace his eternal love. I pray that it’s helping us to be comforted by his divine, righteous judgment. I pray that it’s helping us to grow in our faith.

The core promise of all that we’re studying this year is the one quoted above: “I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” That’s the promise for us too, if we believe in him, obey him, and love him with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

- Dan Lankford, minister

The questions have come up in my hearing a few times lately: “How can Christian women and young women dress modestly without being legalistic? And how can Christian men take ownership of their own thoughts about women and what they wear?” I’m thankful that some people are asking this question, because I think it reveals hearts that desires to serve God with purity and holiness.

As Christians, we live our lives under a certain set of guidelines. And sometimes, those guidelines must necessarily be set in ways the Bible doesn’t specifically address. The Bible doesn’t specifically address many of the situations and clothing styles that we might wonder about, so we have to make some good judgments based on what God has taught us. How can we apply his wisdom to those situations in order to serve him best? Remember, we’re not just called to the minimum moral behavior that is acceptable; we want to be fully pleasing to God.

So first, how can women and young women dress modestly without being legalistic?

Let’s understand that the word ‘legalism’ has a specific meaning; it’s not just “serious about following moral rules.” Since that’s the case, let’s note that a certain Christian moral sense must be applied to modesty. Each family, organization, church family, school, etc. must make some judgment calls about that. For instance, when Christian kids to go to camp, someone has to say ‘this way of dressing is acceptable and this one is not.’ That’s not legalism; it’s just an application of good moral sense. It’s an effort to set clear and wise boundaries for young men and women in effort to help them obey God’s will. And the same is true of other settings; some decisions have to be made, even where the Bible hasn’t made rules.

Now, the question still remains: How can women dress modestly? The answer is pretty simple: try to be modest. Don’t try to be ‘just modest enough.’ Try to be modest, entirely. Take ownership of your dress, and think of how you present your body. Does the way that you dress glorify God, or is it about flaunting yourself? Are you pushing the boundaries, or are you choosing the humble and conservative path that draws you close to God’s ways? Are you seeking to please Jesus, or are you seeking ways to ‘get away with’ a little more?

And now to the other question: How can men take ownership of their own thoughts about women and what they wear?

God is clear with his warnings about lust (see especially Jesus’ words in Mt. 5:27-30). Men and boys are commanded not to give ourselves to that. It’s the task of men and boys to follow Job’s example and make a covenant with the eyes so as not to look longingly at women other than our wives (Jb 31:1). To look at a woman with sexual desire is demeaning to her dignity as an image-bearer of God and is an act of unfaithfulness in the heart. Godly men, both young and old, must exercise self-control.

Every Christian has a responsibility to help other Christians. Christian women can help Christian men, and Christian men can take ownership of helping Christian women to live in the dignity and peacefulness that God has given them.

- Dan Lankford, minister

This past Sunday, one of our brothers led us in a song whose lyrics have been known to Christians since the second century. Since it was probably unfamiliar to most of us, here are the lyrics again, to allow for some time to really reflect on them.

Shepherd of tender youth,
guiding in love and truth
through devious ways,
Christ, our triumphant King,
we come your name to sing
and here our children bring
to join your praise.

You are our holy Lord,
Christ, the incarnate Word,
healer of strife.
You did yourself abase
that from sin's deep disgrace
you might now save our race,
and give us life.

You are the great High Priest,
you have prepared the feast
of holy love;
and in our mortal pain
none calls on you in vain;
our plea do not disdain;
help from above.

O ever be our guide,
our shepherd and our pride,
our staff and song.
Jesus, O Christ of God,
by your enduring Word
lead us where you have trod;
make our faith strong.

So now and till we die
sound we your praises high
and joyful sing:
infants and all the throng
who to your Church belong,
unite to swell the song
to Christ, our King!

The Catholic pope is unquestionably one of the most powerful religious influences in the world. Of course, his power is as illegitimate as the strange fire offered by Aaron’s sons (cf. Lv. 10:1-3), but it does have enormous impact. And so, when a pope dies and his successor is chosen, it’s worth at least a few moments of consideration from Bible-believing Christians.

Pope Francis reigned (notice that I did not say served) from 2013 to 2025, and his reign will be remembered for a handful of things almost entirely related to his doctrinal liberalism, or at least his doctrinal ambivalence. The popes are considered the successors of the apostles and the authoritative source of all doctrine, which makes the most memorable statement of Francis’ administration all the more memorable: Early on, when asked about his position on homosexuality, he infamously said, “Who am I to judge?” The obvious answer is, “You’re the pope!” And yet, that sort of non-committal response became his usual way. He spent his time hinting that the Church needed to ‘catch up with the times’ and move in a more liberal direction. That, along with the seriously problematic concept of the papacy in general, is how almost all conservative, Biblically-minded Christians will remember him.

Whenever a Pope dies, the next question is always, “What will the next one be like?” And while there’s no way to know, it is worth thinking about.

The new pope—number 267—who has chosen Leo XIV as monarchial title, is a figure largely unknown. He may be a picture of stability, offering little or no change to the Catholic way. Or he may turn out to be noticeably more conservative or more liberal than his predecessor. We, along with the rest of the world, will have to watch and see.

And I think that we should. I think that we’re wise to at least pay attention to their activities, as the Catholic Church does contribute to global events and trends. It is an earthly kingdom with an outsized influence, and if we’re going to be “wise as serpents,” then we shouldn’t put on blinders and just act like it doesn’t exist.

Make no mistake: The pope’s authority is heretical and illegitimate. He is not the mouthpiece of Christ for the modern world. He is not a monarch of Christ’s kingdom on Earth—Christ himself said that he is king, and that his kingdom is not of Earth (Jn. 18:33-37). But it does have great power among religiously-minded people all across the globe, and knowing its trajectory can still help us reach out to them as we try to guide all people to a complete knowledge of the truth. Catholicism is a grand structure built upon a foundation of false teaching, and so we pray for its ultimate undoing. But in the meantime, we pray for it to accomplish some good in the world, no matter how small that may be.

- Dan Lankford, minister

If you’ve been in very many discussions about religion with the general public, you’ve likely heard someone casually use the word legalism—most likely to criticize other religious folks who are serious about doing what God says. (“All they ever talk about is the rules. It’s just rules, rules, rules… They’re so legalistic.”) Some of us might think we’re legalists if we preach and teach the Bible’s specific commandments—that legalism essentially boils down to being “too conservative.” But Inigo Montoya can teach us a lesson: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

The word legalism has a specific definition. It describes the belief that we can save ourselves by perfectly following God’s laws. It’s not just being “conservative” or “serious about following God’s rules.” Legalism doesn’t need an external, divine Savior; it only needs an individual and their perfect adherence to a religion.

And that is a patently unbiblical belief. The nature and effects of sin are simply too damning to be overcome by ourselves, no matter how hard we may try. It is only by the grace of God, received through sincere, obedient faith in Jesus, that we can be saved. It’s absurd to think, after reading the New Testament, that we could ever earn salvation just through good works and religious fervor.

But we shouldn’t react by giving ourselves license to sin or be lax about it. Salvation brings transformation, making us follow God’s ways more ardently. “The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” (Tt. 2:11-14)

The Bible opposes legalism, and we should too. It is “a different gospel” (Ga. 1:6-7), and preaching it denies Christ’s saving power (cf. Ga. 2:15-21). But we must understand its meaning. We don’t have to be spiritually checkmated if accused of legalism. The next move can be as simple as asking, “What exactly do you mean by that word?” Let’s not give up the chance to persuade someone to obey God, and let's be determined not to be crippled by an opponent’s misrepresentation of truth.

- Dan Lankford, minister

I once was blessed to hear a podcast conversation between two believers who had grown up attending what we could rightly call typical evangelical churches. Youth groups, concert-style worship music, big organizations, fundraising efforts, sports teams, bookstores and coffee shops in the building… were all part of the norm for their experience with religion and faith. But as adults, they had both left all of that behind and tried to lead a church environment guided by God’s word. What made the difference? Simply: the Bible.

Their experience is pretty typical of what happens for a lot of (though not all) people who grow up in religious families: they are taught religion as a largely feel-good, therapeutic, healthy addition to your life. Few of the tenets of the faith are taught as essentials to life—just “good ideas for a lot of people.” And while the Bible is often referenced, it’s rarely taught. They become what one of the podcast hosts described for himself: post-Bible Christians.

That particular phrase—“post-Bible Christian”—describes a danger that can plague all believers, both from liberal and conservative (and even very-liberal and very-conservative) traditions. Both are tempted to know proof-texts, but not really study and absorb the full context to understand God’s own heart (cf. 1 Sm. 13:14). Both are tempted to treat the Bible as a good motivational book, but not neglect to treat it as the very words of eternal life (cf. Jn. 6:68). Both are tempted to reference the Bible but not know it; to read it but not engage it; to accept it, but find that they do not actually like it.

I hope this reminds us of two things:

1) That if we are people who know the Bible well, we need to be compassionate in our outlook toward those who do not. We shouldn’t look down on them for not knowing (although we might rightly criticize their spiritual leaders for such failures); we should compassionately do our best to lead them deeper into God’s word and toward his heart. We should try to draw them toward a fuller experience with the Bible if at all possible. We should offer to study, to guide, to teach, and sometimes just to read it with them; because so many have so little exposure to the word. (By the way, this is why I started giving page numbers for Bible references when I preach; I want as many people as possible to be able to read along).

2) It should remind us not to get complacent with our own Bible knowledge. Complacency and self-righteousness go hand-in-hand, and they are the companions of spiritual failure (cf. Lk. 18:9-14). Members of the Churches of Christ used to be commonly called “people of the book,” and that was a wonderful reputation... but it’s one that I fear we could lose without deliberate choices. I find that saints in churches like ours—particularly teens and young adults—are often passionate about Jesus and church-related activities, but they don’t know their Bibles nearly as well as a previous generation did (for more specifics on this, see this article from a couple of weeks ago). It’s not just that they don’t know certain distinctive doctrines—it’s that they don’t know the Bible, and they haven’t learned to love it. We may be on track, without some purposeful, prayerful attention from all church leaders (cf. 1 Tm. 4:6-16), to creating our own trend of post-Bible Christianity. That’s a trend that we can counteract, though, and so we must, for the glory of God and the preservation of our souls.

“Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hb. 4:11-12)

- Dan Lankford, minister

“In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah…” (Neh. 13:23-24)

Ashdod is a very old city, dating back approx. 3,700 years. It was a city of the Philistines in Old Testament times and was a linchpin of some conflict between them and God’s people (cf. Jos. 11:22, 1 Sm. 5). But in the time of Nehemiah, as quoted above, the problem with Ashdod was not conflict; it was compromise.

In Nehemiah’s time, some of the people of God had intermarried (again) with the nations around them, and they had made so much room in their lives for the culture of their foreign wives’ people that some of their children had already lost an understanding of their native language—Hebrew—in a single generation. This is exactly the problem of intermarriage that Moses had warned them about generations before, and it represents another BIG step away from God and their rightful Israelite identity. The problem was that Israel was supposed to be the influence for good in the world, not be influenced for bad by the world.

There is an inherently and close-to-home danger that Christians can be warned about from this passage: namely, that covenant children—those being raised by Christian parents—aren’t being taught some things that should be our distinctive characteristics, just as the children of the tribe of Judah apparently weren’t being taught. I see trends that may seem small, but which indicate a move away from the “native language” of Christianity and toward only speaking “the language of Ashdod.” Some elements of Christian life that ought to be natural to us, but which are easily lost when they’re not deliberately taught. Things like:

• Bible knowledge—even the basics, like the order of the books—is increasingly hard to find among religious children, even in conservative groups like us.
• The importance of worship—that attendance at assemblies actually takes precedence over many other life events and situations.
• The practice of hospitality—that it’s not a burden, but a joy. That it’s not a pretentious show of self and wealth, but a humble gift that we can give to others. And that it’s a job for every believer, whether we have little or much in earthly goods.
• The gladness of fellowship—that our bonds in Christ are to be enjoyed, elevated, cherished, and seen by others as a sign of our devotion to Christ (cf. Jn. 13:35).
• The path of humility—the truth that no one should think of himself/herself as the most important people in the world; even our children. They should not be made to think that they are the most important person, even to us as their parents. Because God is the most important person. Period.
• The comfortable, warm, and rightly-fitting place of things like hymns, psalms, quoting scripture, bedtime prayers, and Bible reading in our home lives. These and others are things that ought to be the native language of Christian home life.

I worry that by neglecting things like these, we prime children for a time in their life when they recognize the native language of Christian living, but they don’t speak it. And more problematic than that: they don’t really care to learn it and regain what has been lost.

The problem between Israel and Ashdod wasn’t conflict; it was compromise. And we so often face the same problem. We are supposed to be the influence for good to the people around us; not be influenced for bad by them. And we are supposed to be the influences on our kids, not have them influenced by the people around us. If we’re letting them losing distinctive elements of God’s presence in their lives, then we’d better repent and redouble our efforts to draw them close to the heart of the father.

- Dan Lankford, minister

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Author's Note: This post was inspired by my grandfather's sermon by the same title (he drew different applications than I did, but saw a good principle in the text; see his notes in inset picture). He preached for almost 7 decades, and passed away just this past week at the age of 90. I'm writing this (and likely more to come) in his honor.

Most Bible readers have heard often about the importance of context when reading and studying. For some believers, that means just a verse or a sentence before and after the specific thing we’re looking at. But often, the context of a particular passage includes a whole section of the book that it’s from.

That’s what we have with this week’s daily Bible readings. All week long, we’re following Israel’s journey from the Red Sea (which they crossed in ch. 14) to Mt. Sinai (where they’ll receive the Law, starting in ch. 20). I recently heard the Exodus simply outlined in three parts: the road out [of slavery], the road between [slavery and freedom], and the road up [to God’s promised rest]. We’re with them on ‘the road between’ right now.

As we said in this week’s Reader’s Guide, this is where Israel will begin to show their true colors… which aren’t pretty. They complain about God when they find places with no water (15:22-26, 17:1-7). And they disobey his simple instructions about manna, messing up in two ways: first, by trying to gather too much and hoard it for themselves (16:19-20), and second, by expecting to gather it on the day when he told them to rest (16:27-30). And if you know the rest of the wilderness story, then you know these events are only the beginning of their problems.

What was their core problem in these events? In all of those cases, they failed to trust that God would provide for them. They complained because they didn’t trust him to provide. They hoarded because they didn’t trust him to provide. They worked rather than rested because they didn’t trust him to provide.

Do we trust him to provide for us? What does our anxiety level reveal as the answer to that? What do our giving-versus-hoarding habits reveal as the answer to that? What do our work-versus-rest habits reveal as the answer to that? How are we doing at putting our full trust in our God while we live in this life—our very own ‘road between’ salvation and promised rest?

- Dan Lankford, minister