A feather in your theological cap.
The personal blog of pastor, grammarian, and runner Brent Niedergall
New Testament Commentary Guide
How do you decide which commentaries to include in your exegetical arsenal? As an expository preacher, I’ve always felt the responsible thing to do is load up on good commentaries before delving into a new book of the Bible for a sermon series. And there are flocks...
Facing Death with Bergman
Halloween must be approaching because my neighbour has a giant inflatable jack-o'-lantern on his roof. And while our family doesn't make a big deal out of the holiday, I’ve seen The Nightmare Before Christmas. Halloween is the closest many in this world ever come to...
Sunday Prayer (Psalm 140)
This is the latest in the series of corporate prayers for Sunday worship that I’m writing from the Psalms, working through them in reverse order. O Lord, we praise you. We give thanks to your name. We honour you. You are the strength of our salvation. You are our...
Three Meals, Two Covenants, One Kingdom
Two chicken-fried steaks with gravy and sliced onions. A triple-patty bacon cheeseburger. Cheese omelet with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos. A bowl of fried okra and ketchup. One pound of barbecued meat with half a loaf of white...
Is New Docs Something New to You?
For those who study the Greek New Testament, there’s a set of lexical tools that don’t receive enough attention. It’s a set of slim-ish, mismatched volumes that offer a glimpse into how the words of the New Testament were used in real-life historical contexts. There...
Is Your Faith Dead?
What does the film with the longest production time in motion picture history have in common with the book of James? https://youtu.be/yTLwaG1kOto
Sunday Prayer (Psalm 141)
This is the latest in the series of corporate prayers for Sunday worship that I’m writing from the Psalms, working through them in reverse order. O Lord, we call unto you and trust that you will hear us. You are our help and our shield. We trust in you. Our help...
Why All This Waking?
We all know that feeling of waking up in the morning. You’re moving slowly. Your head is swimming in a fog. Your brain isn’t ready to think until you drink your coffee or take a shower. You could use a jolt of energy. You need energized. I like how David, in the...
Public Reading of Scripture
Others have written helpful material for the public reading of God's Word in a church service. (I included links to some good ones at the end of this post.) But here is what we came up with so we can hand something short and instructive for those serving in this...
Remembering Farid Ahmad Khpalwak (1989–2020)
On Saturday 26 September 2020 at approximately 8:00 am local time, my good friend Captain Farid Ahmad Khpalwak was killed by insurgents at a Taliban checkpoint in Pul-e Qandahari, Logar Province. His three fellow Afghan National Army soldiers travelling with him on...