On this day in history: In 1846, the U.S. annexed New Mexico. In 1865, a patent for liquid soap was issued to William Sheppard. In 1938, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers grace the cover of Life magazine. And in 1984, the last Volkswagen Rabbit rolled off the assembly line in New Stanton, PA.
How Bad TV Characters Are At Realistically Drinking Coffee – This has bothered me for along time. And finally, someone else is bothered too, and they made a video. Mental Floss discusses it in this article.
5 Stylish Ways To Roll Shirt Sleeves – This kind of seems like a no-brainer kind of thing. How to roll shirt sleeves? Come on! But after I read this, I began to notice just how sloppily a lot of men actually roll their sleeves. His might be needed. And here is an infographic to help display it all.
Why Tim Challies Doesn’t Use An Ad Blocker – I found this very interesting. I don’t use an ad blocker either, simply because I fear it may block out more than it needs to sometimes. Tim’s thoughts here are very encouraging.
Hexaflexagons – This absolutely blew my mind!
Today In Church History
August 22, 565, is the day that St. Colomba is said to have encountered the Loch Ness Monster in an incredible series of events. Whether or not it actually happened is open to debate. Read more about it here.
Who Gave Paul His Thorn? – I have read this passage from 2 Corinthians 12 many times, and really never stopped to consider this question. This article brings a very intriguing passage to light and answers it well.
No More To Beth Moore – This article may ruffle some feathers, but I found it to be a very interesting perspective. I know a lot of people that enjoy her materials, but all such material must be examined and found to be biblical, regardless of who it may be from.
7 Ways To Improve Your Preaching – This is a great list of reminders for those who are bringing God’s Word for people to hear.
Hi Jeff! I’ve pondered on the Beth Moore portion of this Coffee Break for several hours now and just wanted to drop my two cents worth in. AND that is all it is worth…two cents.
I do not know Moore’s heart, so I cannot speak to her motives or intentions. What I do know is that God used her work mightily in my life to draw me into in-depth Bible study and to increase my faith in Christ exponentially. Her “Jesus the One and Only” study was my very first in-depth study. While I have done most of her studies, I do not consider myself to be a ‘Beth Moore groupie’. I study under many teachers…both male and female.
Most of the people I have seen bashing Moore are men. No offense meant. And usually when asked if they have completed any of her studies, the answer is no. So, I think that taking sound bites from her teaching and making theological statements for or against a person is not really a great thing to do. It would be better to fully research the work of the person before making blanket statements about their work. With that said, I have problems if she is aligning herself with Joyce Meyer or Joel Osteen. Big problems with those two.
When all is said and done, the studies that Beth Moore has written have drawn thousands of women into in-depth Bible study. I have seen it happen in the women who have studied with me for 16 years. The changes in the hearts of these women are not because of Beth Moore or any other human teacher, but rather because the Holy Spirit used her/them to write something that drew women into His Word.
Thanks for letting me offer my thoughts. Keep up the good work at your blog.
Leah, thanks for your insights. Our church has used several Beth Moore studies, and yes, God has worked through those to accomplish many good things. I have used a couple of her resources, not fully, but enough to be familiar with her work. I simply found that article to be an interesting perspective. As I stated, “all such material must be examined and found to be biblical, regardless of who it may be from.” I firmly believe that, whether it is Beth Moore or someone else, and I am pretty certain you do as well. All such studies, books, even commentaries, must be examined in the light of Scripture to be sure they are on track with the truth. We MUST have a discerning spirit for such things.
I am not belittling what God may have done through such a study, and I do in fact believe that God can work through such things. He can, and does, work through our fallible natures. 🙂 Thankfully!
I am not “bashing” Beth Moore, nor am I necessarily standing in her corner to defend her. I simply wanted to share that perspective so that others could read it. As you stated, we do not know her heart, and cannot judge, as that is not our place anyway.
The purpose of my Coffee Breaks is not to post forth things that I expect everyone to agree with, but to share things I found interesting or thought provoking. It appears that I succeeded here. 🙂
Thanks again for feeling like you could share your thoughts. That means a lot to me, and I greatly appreciate it. Such discussion, I believe, helps us all to grow.
Thanks again!