Stephen De La Vega

  The Parthenon. Not the famous one in Greece, but “the world’s only exact-size replica of the original Parthenon in Athens” ( https://www.nashvilleparthenon.com/ ). You can visit it in Nashville, Tennessee. It seems like the one in Athens would’ve been a great place to exchange wisdom. It certainly looks like the perfect venue, but the Parthenon is not known for that. There is a place where wisdom and truth was taught at a temple where similar columns once stood. It’s called the Second Temple, a rebuilding of Solomon’s Temple. It’s also known as Herod’s Temple, and it’s where Jesus taught at times when He was in Jerusalem. There, at the Second Temple, Jesus shared His perfect wisdom with Jews and Gentiles alike, depending on where he was on any given day. He spoke about life as He expressed the truth of God to eager listeners ( Mark 12:41 , Mark 14:49 , John10:23 , Luke 19:47-48 ).   I’m pleased that we have the opportunity to hear from Jesus in a few resolutions begi...

Have you ever tried fasting?  I mean fasting as an intentional step toward a deeper relationship with God or greater dependence on Him.  I understand there are many reasons to intentionally fast – some spiritual in nature and others legitimately not spiritual, like for the purposes of medical lab work.  This blog post is about my experience with an intentional fast for the purpose of depending more on God.  I imagine our experiences will differ, so this blog is not a lesson as much as it is an account.  It is also not a commentary or exegesis of Bible passages about fasting.  It is an expression of my own personal experience and results. So why did I fast?  I led a study on fasting.  It was the closing session of a series on a healthy spiritual diet.  So, on one hand, I did what a leader should do.  I led by example.  (Leaders:  Our message is superficial if we don’t lead by example.  Enough said.  Different...