D.A. Carson is preaching at Bethlehem this week and next, and is giving a 14-session seminar over the two weekends (Friday night and Saturday) entitled The God Who Is There: Naming God in a Pluralistic World. Jennifer and I have been going, and so far it is quite good.

Some observations he has pointed us to thus far:

• The Bible does not start with human experience or observation, build up a careful proof for the existence of God, and then move forward with what this God desires. Rather, it begins with the existence of God taken as fact and proceeds to explain human experience in relation to the existing, omnipotent God.
• God doesn’t engage in bartering with man or disengage entirely from the doings of humanity. Rather, He articulates clearly His expectations.
• God frequently exercises forbearance and does not necessarily immediately dole out the consequences of His decrees.