The Forest and the trees

by Travis Herbelin | May 20, 2020 | John, New Testament | 0 Comments

In high school, we read Leaf by Niggel by J.R.R Tolkien. I completely missed the point of the story. The main character focuses on painting perfect leaves rather than the forest. I thought Niggel’s missing the “big picture” was actually the “big picture” of...

Can Any Forbid Water?

by Travis Herbelin | August 27, 2021 | Acts, New Testament | 0 Comments

“Sir, you’re dehydrated.” The sergeant was checking how long the pale, pinched hands took to regain color. After ambush training, he checked everyone, including observers. “I know.” There was zero chance of me taking a lift from medical staff, especially in front of...

Ozymandias

by Travis Herbelin | June 5, 2020 | John, New Testament | 0 Comments

“Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” That’s the only phrase I remember from that poem. We read it in high school and were taught that it had a double meaning. On the one hand, Ozymandias wrote it to terrify other kings into submission. On the other hand, it...

Why Did God Give Us the Book of Acts?

by Travis Herbelin | February 12, 2021 | Acts, New Testament | 0 Comments

What did Bradbury mean when he wrote Fahrenheit 451? Many students of literature will give many different answers to that question. The easiest way to know what he meant was to ask him, “What did you mean?” But what if Bradbury is no longer available for an...

Stand Up!

by Travis Herbelin | June 11, 2021 | Acts, Hebrews, New Testament, Titus | 0 Comments

Why do we stand up? Sometimes the reason is simple. Perhaps we need to move, or the meal is over. But do we ever stand up for somebody? Grandpa walks into the room, and we stand up to give her a hug. Grandma gets to the restaurant late, and we stand up to greet her....

It’s All Your Fault!

by Travis Herbelin | July 17, 2020 | John, New Testament | 0 Comments

The ground falls from underneath us. We tumble down in despair. We think, “What did I do to deserve this?” Maybe it is a medical diagnosis, death of a loved one, loss of a job, or a relationship breaking, but we feel a need to blame someone, anyone, for our problems....

“So I Prayed to the God of Heaven”

by Travis Herbelin | March 20, 2020 | Nehemiah, Old Testament | 0 Comments

Nehemiah was sad, and that was an occupational hazard. He was the scribe of the king, a king who could kill on whim. Anyone in service of the king was well advised to appear loyal, devoted, and sublimely joyful before the king — but Nehemiah was sad. Nehemiah must...

If you get angry, count to ten…

by Travis Herbelin | September 24, 2021 | Acts, New Testament | 0 Comments

Mark Twain’s version was, “When angry, count to four; when very angry, swear.” Are Christians ever allowed to get that angry? In Acts 13:6–12, we see Paul get angry. Elymas, a false prophet, knowingly placed himself between the gospel message and a searching soul....

Fickle Fate

by Travis Herbelin | December 3, 2021 | Acts, New Testament | 0 Comments

A long time ago, an English teacher taught her class rare words we would never use again. One of those words was “capricious.” When we couldn’t guess the meaning, she defined it for us. What strikes me about “capricious” is that “fickle” can replace it in most...

Reject the Evidence!

by Travis Herbelin | July 24, 2020 | John, New Testament | 0 Comments

Popular science assumes that nothing supernatural can exist. Since the only things that can exist are natural, any evidence for the supernatural is rejected. In John 9, the Pharisees assumed God could not work on the Sabbath. Despite this belief, Jesus healed a blind...

Come and See for Yourselves!

by Travis Herbelin | Nov 27, 2022 | John, New Testament

A friend from Germany visited Penelope, Texas. She had seen a map and intellectually understood that towns in Texas were separated by miles and miles. She did not truly understand it until she saw how long and empty the road was between Birome, Leroy, Penelope, and...

Really, Look for the Right Things!

by Travis Herbelin | Nov 26, 2022 | John, New Testament

Teaching chemistry can be difficult. You hate to ask the question, “What part did you not understand?” Mostly because you’ll get the answer, “That part starting after, ‘Good morning, class!’” To teach a single concept, you need to teach it several different ways. To...

Look for the Right Things!

by Travis Herbelin | Nov 25, 2022 | John, New Testament

“There’s your problem!” He found the problem. The air conditioner stopped, but that was a symptom, not the cause. A short in the outlet literally burned away the metal prongs. Fix the outlet, and the AC will sort itself out. Why did I need help to figure out the...

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Old Testament

“Those Who Can Do. Those Who Can’t Teach”

by Travis Herbelin | Mar 10, 2020 | Ezra, Old Testament

My uncle said it. I am pretty sure he had never read George Bernard Shaw. Most of us who know the saying, believe it is a proverb— not something lifted out of a novel. The Bible, however, teaches us something different in Ezra 7:10, “For Ezra had set his heart to...

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