Tag: bible
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Beware the Smart Person Trap
6Do not add to his [God’s] words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.–Proverbs 30 Beware the trap of leaning on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). You may be really smart and your thoughts about Scripture may be indeed highly nuanced. But your commentary on the Bible is not more important than…
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Rage and the Fool
[11] Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.—Proverbs 29 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. (James 1:19-20) For anger…
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Prodigal Me, Prodigal You
7The one who keeps the law is a son with understanding, but a companion of gluttons shames his father.–Proverbs 28 It almost seems impossible that Jesus didn’t have this proverb on his mind when he gave his famous parable about the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. In that parable, a son asked for his inheritance…
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Be Refreshingly Different This Thanksgiving
11Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.–2 Corinthians 13 Paul concludes with five commands and one promise. Wear these as attitudes this Thanksgiving especially as you are with family. Be refreshingly different! REJOICE. This is actively living…
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Suffering, Grace, and God
…a thorn was given me [Paul] in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast…
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Taking Thoughts Captive
5…and take every thought captive to obey Christ…–2 Corinthians 10 Paul was teaching the Corinthian church about the spiritual war they were all involved in. He would later famously teach the same truth to the Ephesian church (ch. 6) with the “armor of God” passage. The war is fought not in the flesh as in…
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The Yoke of Compromise
14Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?–2 Corinthians 6 Come to me [Jesus], all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in…
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The Greatest Transfer
We [Paul and crew] implore you [Corinthian church] on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake he made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we [followers of Jesus] might become the righteousness of God.—2 Corinthians 5 They are to lay their hand on the head of…
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The Unseen Is Eternal
16So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For…
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Four Christian Heart Freedoms
17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.—2 Corinthians 3 I want to ponder four Christian heart freedoms momentarily. TRUST. We are free to trust God. We have the freedom to let go of our control issues and trust Him. We trust God especially in moments…
