📖 The Bible isn't outdated

I. The Bible may very well be old, but it is not outdated.

“Outdated” is often a pejorative term to describe something that is old and something we do not like.

It implies that that was then, but we have now “progressed” and moved on from that idea.

And yes, there is nothing wrong with calling something outdated, but this term is often selectively applied to the Bible to dismiss parts people don’t like, such as its teaching on sex and marriage, but curiously not on the things our culture does like, such as the Golden Rule as taught by Jesus.

The reality is we need to judge the merits of something based on the wisdom that it holds, regardless of how old or new it is. If something is old and wrong, then it is wrong. If something is new and wrong, then it is wrong. But the timeline in which that wisdom came to us is irrelevant.

Either the entire Bible is “outdated,” or it is not. There is no in-between. What you cannot do is say only certain parts you don’t like are outdated, but the ones you do are not.

Yes, the Bible is old. But the merits of whether something is right or wrong have nothing to do with how old or new it is.

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II. Here is an observation that may sound like a judgment, but it really is simply an observation.

You really miss out if you do not go to church.

Recently, our church had to cancel two Sunday services in a row due to winter weather. This is the first time we have ever had to do this. And it was so good to see so many of our people again after three weeks.

In our culture today, there are very few places where people actually build real community outside of work. But church is different. It’s a place where people from different life stages, different backgrounds, and different walks of life show up every week and build relationships together.

Obviously church is good for the spiritual side of knowing Jesus, but the relational side is just as important. We are not meant to follow Jesus in isolation. So after missing two weeks, I was really excited to come back and see everyone.

And I just want to say this kindly, but honestly. Some of you don’t go to church regularly, or ever, and you are truly missing out.

Again, this isn’t a judgment. It’s simply an observation that this kind of community is rare, really good, and genuinely worth being part of.

People often use different names for the Old Testament, which can sound confusing, but they are usually referring to overlapping parts of the same Scriptures.

Hebrew Bible
Another way Christians and scholars refer to the Old Testament, so named because most of it was originally written in Hebrew.

Torah
The Jewish name for the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The word means “instruction,” highlighting that these books are God’s teaching for his people.

Pentateuch
Another name for the same five books as the Torah. This is a Greek term meaning “five books” or “five scrolls,” emphasizing the literary structure.

Tanak (Tanakh)
The Jewish name for the entire Old Testament. It is an acronym for its three parts:

Bottom line:

Exodus 34:6 is the most-referenced passage of Scripture in the Bible.

“The Lord—the Lord is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.”

This description of God is picked up again and again throughout the Old Testament in places like the Psalms, Jonah, Nehemiah, and the prophets. Scholars estimate it is quoted or closely echoed more than twenty times in the Old Testament alone.

Its themes also shape the New Testament’s portrait of God. Because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, it is not surprising at all that Jesus reveals a God who is patient, merciful, and full of grace.

Personality Isn’t Permanent by Benjamin Hardy

A book (supposedly) about how we can change our personalities and therefore should not be limited by them.

I was disappointed with this book. I was really interested in reading it, given its title, but I do not think the author made a compelling case at all for the claim of the title.

The author heavily critiques personality tests and the ways in which people limit themselves based on their personality. There is some merit here, and I agree that people can limit themselves too much by thinking that they can't do something because it does not come naturally to them.

However, the book spent most of its time talking about personal growth, maturity, and not letting self-limiting beliefs hold you back.

That is all well and good, but much of what was written was not about changing your personality so much as becoming more mature, disciplined, and focused on personal formation. But none of that is actually changing your personality.

The book itself wasn't bad, but the author claims the book is about how your personality and temperament can be completely changed; to me, however, the author confuses personality with maturity, personal growth, and achieving goals.

If the book had a different title, I would rate it better, but it did not back up its title well at all, in my opinion.

4/10

P.S. The worst news…