Card Talk
Ben Christian
The Angel of Death (Hezekiah 3:18): A ...

It’s now time to address that scythe wielding, six winged, cherub whose coming heralds fear in the heart of humanity [read that reference again] . . .

The Angel of Death (Hezekiah 3:18): A Misunderstood and Theologically Vital Non-Entity
Card Talk
Ben Christian
Peter's need for Ritalin (Mark 9:5-6) OR What ...

"Peter didn't know what the Hell he was talking about. He had no idea what the mountain-top experience really represented...Moses & Elijah represented encouragement and a reminder to be attentive to faithfulness, because dark days are coming..."

Peter's need for Ritalin (Mark 9:5-6) OR What we can learn from The Transfiguration and Other Mountain-Top Experiences
Creed Card Talk
Ben Christian
“Although Surprising to Most, the Kingdom of ...

 . . . one year we’ll defend our belief in an incarnation timed for Sukkoth as there is no way Jesus was born in December, and we’ll write the Card Talk about how the wise men did not show up until He was three years old. Eventually we’ll even address the fact that the little drummer boy was actually a drunk Roman solider looking for his estranged wife (okay, we just made that last one up) . . .

“Although Surprising to Most, the Kingdom of Heaven is really like___________”
Other, Card Talk
Ben Christian
O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14) [An ...

Sadly, this Advent Card Talk is applicable every year...

O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:14) [An Advent Card Talk]
Card Talk
Ben Christian
Jesus looking for a fight (Mark 11:11) -The Two ...

In discussing how fast "faith can move mountains," Matthew cuts Mark's three-day story in half. He speeds up the pace, chronologically and theologically. 

Jesus looking for a fight (Mark 11:11) -The Two Palm Sundays

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Death by lion for not punching a prophet (1 Kings 20:35-36)

Death by lion for not punching a prophet (1 Kings 20:35-36)

The Bible is an ancient text filled with stories that, on first (or second, or third) pass can seem very nasty, brutish, and short. But there is generally an underlying morality that makes perfect sense in an Ancient Near East context, and can still be applied today. Like “do what God tells you” and “don’t be a hypocrite!”

Altar Sex (Amos 2:8) [A Guest Card Talk]

Altar Sex (Amos 2:8) [A Guest Card Talk]

“The closest I ever came to having sex was right after prayer.” For many young adults, this observation would serve as a catalyst for a more active prayer life, but for us pious young men at a Christian college, this advice from a graduating senior served as a warning. Intimacy is risky and dangerous and, if you’re not careful, you’ll end up in the wrong holy of holies.

The Bible’s Nastiest Verse Answers Your Classic White-Person Question [A Guest Card Talk]

“As a white person, I haven’t experienced bone-deep rage many times in my life, if ever. I have zero experience with grinding, tormenting, humiliating oppression. By praying this psalm, I came face to face with the tiniest glimpse of what it’s like to be oppressed, and the fury it deserves.”

The writing on the wall (Daniel 5:27)

Perhaps you should take stock of your complicity in the oppression of others, despite your many reasons for saying you’re not a racist - sexist -homophobe - transphobe - ageist - ableist - elitist - [insert other assholery] because of [insert the ‘close personal friend/relative’ (who really isn’t)].