Our Response to Others
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:12-13 The three tribes (the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh) had to leave their place of rest east of the Jordan, which had already […]
As Sure as the Sunrise
In the gray pre-dawn hour of the day, as I shuttled sleepy younger siblings along to my daughter’s school drop-off, an indignant question came to me from the backseat of my minivan. “Mom, why is it still dark?” (Insert angry emoji here). My 3-year-old son clearly did not appreciate being roused at such an early […]
Effective Gospel
Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those […]
God Anoints His Leaders
So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; he is he one.” I Samuel 16:12 The word anoint comes from the Hebrew word masah, which means to “anoint, smear, consecrate.” It occurs approximately 70 times in the […]
Sincere Worship
…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Hebrews 10:22 Burnt offerings were offered every morning and every evening for all of Israel. (Exodus 29:38-42) The Hebrew name “minhah” […]
A People of Grace
Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstance to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. I […]
Honoring His Name
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness. Psalm 29:2 The Psalms inspire us to praise and honor the name of the Lord. As we seek God, He will reveal His character to us through His names. Let us learn to honor Jehovah God, Adonai, […]
Rebellion and the Fall
And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good from evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the […]
A Gospel of Power
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation for everyone who believes… Romans 1:16 According to Webster’s dictionary, the word “power” has the following synonyms: authority, jurisdiction, control, command, dominion. The gospel is the power of God for salvation and it has authority, jurisdiction, control, and […]
The Good Life
This week we’ll work through the Beatitudes, Jesus’ opening section in his sermon on the Mount. As we do, we’re looking for guideposts on how to live as citizens of God’s Kingdom. In the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us a list of qualities or behaviors of people at home in the Kingdom of God. He gives […]