Kevin W. Bounds

A Common Place for Biblical Studies

Riding & Writing — March 30, 2024

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Riding & Writing

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Riding my bicycle inspired me to write again.

Waking early for a Saturday morning, I wheeled my bike out of the shed. Taking a moment to for pre-ride inspection, I made sure the tires were properly inflated. With everything in order, I set off on the road, making my way to the church office to tackle some last-minute tasks for Easter Services tomorrow.

The scenic route treated me to a picturesque sight of fields covered in sour grass, their feathery stalks rustling in the breeze under clear blue skies. Birds soared through the sky above me while cars whizzed past as I pedaled along, the air cool on my face. All-in-all, I pedaled for 35.9 miles, there and back.

Taking in my surroundings, I realized that riding my bicycle inspires me to write. The roads around Coffee County look different at 15 mph. At this speed, you can discover the treasures of creation in an ordinary ditch or roadside creek. Creeks filled with wildlife that are equally intrigued by your presence as you are by theirs. Going slow has a certain charm to it. At least, it does for me.

Each ride I take is a reminder of my writer’s soul as I absorb the details of the world around me. Observing the world around me sparks my imagination and fuels my passion to document those moments on the page.

I took a ride today, and now I am writing again.  

Proverb 1:7 — October 9, 2023
Identifying Idols — March 6, 2023

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Identifying Idols

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“I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:”

Exodus 20:2-4

Idolatry seems archaic. We imagine worshippers bowing in obeisance to ancient carved statues, but idols are more than the stones of the past. We still struggle with this sin because idolatry is a heart issue. The Bible speaks with clarity on the subject. God ranked this sin at the top of the Ten Commandments. The New Testament writers say we should flee from and guard ourselves from idols. But what is idolatry? How can we identify an idol today?

The modern-day idols hide in the corridors of our hearts. They manifest themselves through our thoughts and actions. The Apostle Paul writes, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Did you catch this list of sins that “amount to idolatry?”

In the past, the outworking of an idolatrous heart presented itself in handmade deities. Worshippers devoted their lives to a product of their own making. We may not hold a graven idol in our hands, but if we give our preeminent devotion to anything other than God, it is sinful. Our relationships, careers, and even ministries can become idols.

If we are not diligent to examine our inner life, our hearts will erect an altar of offense to God. We need to see the truth of John Calvin’s statement that the “human heart is a factory of idols.” We must allow the Spirit to walk through the hallways of our heart. Giving Him access to enter any door that He knocks on.

If you refuse to heed the knocking of the Spirit, you are guilty of idolatry. Christ should possess preeminence in every aspect of our lives. We have all ignored the Spirit, but God is gracious to uproot idols and continue His work in us. Believers have a guarantee of forgiveness if we confess our sins (see 1 John 1:9). The knock at the door of your heart will only grow louder. For God is jealous and will not share His glory with another. Do you hear the Spirit knocking at your heart’s door? Open and allow Him to identify the idol in your life.

Victory in Jesus — February 27, 2023

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Victory in Jesus

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These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

(John 16:33, KJV)

I stood by my friend’s bedside, singing Victory in Jesus with his family. His body, ravaged by cancer, was fading fast. We knew the end was near. To some, he was losing his battle with cancer, but my friend was not tasting defeat, but victory. As we sang, prayed, and wept, he was hearing the grandstand of heaven cheering for him to crossover. He was leaving this life in victory.

How can I say this? By faith. The Bible states, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Some confuse faith with positive thinking. Although positive thinking is good, it only takes you so far. A preacher once said positive thinking is having faith in faith. Yet the Bible calls us to have faith in God (see Mark 11:22). The object of our faith is God and only He can comfort us in times of tribulation.

As a pastor, I’ve walked people over joyous mountaintops and through dark valleys of despair. The latter is never easy. No one, even a believer, is exempt from the suffering of this world. In fact, Jesus assured us we would face persecution, pain, and even loss. However, God promises victory to believers. Christians can experience peace and joy during trials because Jesus has overcome the world.

Our faith in Jesus’ triumph over this world (i.e., His death, burial, and resurrection) secures our victory. We have victory in Jesus! We shouldn’t base our salvation on our moralistic or religious achievements in this life. It’s not about what we do, because we will always fall short of God’s glory (see Romans 3:23). But it is about placing our faith in what Christ accomplished. He lived, died, and rose victoriously in our place. He was our substitute. Christ provided the victory for any circumstance we face. Paul writes, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us” (Romans 8:37, KJV emphasis mine). By faith in Christ, we can rest in being victorious.

What the world views as tragedy and loss may be our gain by faith. God never promises the Christian a rosy experience in this life, but He does promise to never leave nor forsake them (see Hebrews 13:5). His presence provides peace, joy, and victory. You will face hard times, but you have the choice to face them with or without Him. Are you experiencing the victory in Jesus that God promised believers? Remember, it’s only found in Him.

Could I? I Wonder. — February 17, 2023

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Could I? I Wonder.

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Could I make it as a writer? I wonder. The dream of being a professional writer has followed me through life like an incessant puppy that simply wants to play fetch. But I’m too busy adulting to toss the ball. Deadlines, commitments, responsibilities force me to pet the pup on the head to pacify him, promising I will come back to play later. Later never really comes. Or at least, it hasn’t yet.

Over the last several months, I’ve lost sleep from the constant whimper and whines. Sleeping in is out of the question, since Fido is ready for the day. My lifelong dream barks for me to get out of bed to play. The sand of my life is halfway through the hourglass with the passing of another birthday. Time appears to slip by faster and faster. It’s time. No, it’s beyond time to take this yapping dream of mine to the park, take its leash off, and let it run free until his heart is content.

I wonder. Could I make it as a writer?

Change the World — February 8, 2023
Preaching Plan for 2023 — December 22, 2022

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Preaching Plan for 2023

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As I write this post, I am sitting in the pastor’s study at Morningside, listening to the hum of traffic heading to and from town. My mind fills with images of families traveling for the holidays or husbands scurrying to purchase their wives’ gifts. Christmas is in three days, which means 2022 is winding down. We only have nine days until 2023!

With a fresh new year heading towards us, I’ve been working on my preaching calendar. After reading The Whole Counsel of God: Why and How to Preach the Entire Bible by Andrew Reid and Tim Patrick, it encouraged me to keep my hand to the plow and faithfully preach through books of the Bible. In short, Reid and Patrick give practical guidance for feeding your congregation a balanced diet from the Word of God.

They suggest preaching from six sections of the Scripture over a three-year cycle (i.e., Torah, Former Prophets, Latter Prophets, Writing, Gospel, Other New Testament books). They make the case for preaching series created by following the natural breaks of the text. For example, you could cover Genesis in seven series: a series on Creation (1:1-2:25); a series on the Fall (3:1-5:32); a series covering the Flood and Tower of Babel (6:1-11:9); a series on each of the lives of Abraham (11:10-25:18), Isaac (25:19-26:35), Jacob (27:1-36:43), and Joseph (37:1-50:26). In between these series from Genesis, you would preach from other books located outside the Torah. The key is not moving to another book in the Torah until you finish with Genesis. Their advice spurred me on to map out what books of the Bible I’ll lead my congregation through next year. (Again, it’s just nine days away!)

Here is a list of the biblical books I’ll be leading my congregation through in 2023:

Acts (Partial)

I plan to have two series from the book of Acts. The first series will cover Acts 1:1-2:47 in January and February, and the second will work through Acts 3:1-8:4 in August through October. I won’t preach another book in the “other New Testament” category until I finish Acts.

Ruth (Complete)

I plan to preach a four sermon series through Ruth during the months of March and April.

Mark (Partial)

I’m planning two series from Mark. Mark 1:1-2:12 will be one series from April through June and Mark 2:13-3:35 will be another series in November and December.

Joel (Complete)

My plan is to preach the book of Joel in July in four sermons.

As you probably noticed already, preaching through books of the Bible this way allows you to plod a course through books of the Bible, but also allows you to expose your congregation to a variety of texts. In short, they receive a well-balanced diet from all portions of the Bible.

Blogging Again — October 7, 2022

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Blogging Again

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I’m pushing the blinking cursor across the page again. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve taken a break from blogging to focus on other important stuff. I’ve been pastoring a church, leading my family, and finishing my graduate degree. Yeah, I guess my plate is full.  So, blogging fell by the wayside (and the birds of the air gobbled it up).

Although I haven’t posted here, I continue to write sermons, essays, and devotionals. In fact, my devotional column in the Douglas Enterprise resurrected over the past few weeks. (It was encouraging to hear from all the faithful readers that missed my weekly articles.) I’m going to take a stab at blogging again. I’m not certain of the consistency, but I would like to post daily. What do you think?  

Adopted — August 8, 2022

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Adopted

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He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
(Ephesians 1:5-6)

During my time of daily worship this morning, the following quote, and devotional suggestion, from J. I. Packer’s Knowing God popped into my mind from the chapter titled “Sons of God.” (If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend you grabbing a copy.) In this chapter, Packer explains the importance of the theme of adoption within the Christian faith. Although I was familiar with the theme, after reading this book, I saw it from a fresh perspective. Packer argues that, as Christians, we should meditate on this biblical truth.

He writes,

Meanwhile, the immediate message to our hearts of what we have studied in the present chapter is surely this: Do I, as a Christian, understand myself? Do I know my own real identity? My own real destiny? I am a child of God. God is my Father; heaven is my home; every day is one day nearer. My Savior is my brother; every Christian is my brother too. Say it over and over to yourself first thing in the morning, last thing at night, as you wait for the bus, any time when your mind is free, and ask that you may be enabled to live as one who knows it is all utterly and completely true. For this is the Christian’s secret of – a happy life? – yes, certainly, but we have something both higher and profounder to say. This is the Christian’s secret of a Christian life, and of a God-honoring life, and these are the aspects of the situation that really matter. May this secret become fully yours, and fully mine.

I’ve taken Packer up on the challenge to meditate on this truth. Will you do the same?

The Day After Perfect (Okay, Two Days) — August 1, 2022

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The Day After Perfect (Okay, Two Days)

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I’m a perfectionist. Especially, when it comes to writing, and writing is something that can never be perfected. You see my dilemma. Over the past month or so, I’ve forced myself to post daily. Checking off the days, became a satisfying routine. But what do I do now? It’s been two days, since I’ve opened my laptop and typed anything.

Have you been there? Maybe not with writing, but another area of life. Many feel the pressure to quit dieting after eating something unhealthy. Or stop heading to the gym, because they skipped leg day. (Doesn’t everyone skip leg day?) You don’t have to feel this way. It’s okay to start over.