Tag: perspective
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Fear As a Theological Response
7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;fools despise wisdom and instruction.–Proverbs 1 This word for ‘fear’ occurs 18 times in the Old Testament and each time fear is treated as a category. It is either present or it is not. Some people push back here and say that this verse makes it sound like…
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Contentment or Excuses
8…give me neither poverty nor riches;feed me with the food that is needful for me,9lest I be full and deny youand say, “Who is the LORD?”or lest I be poor and stealand profane the name of my God.–Proverbs 30 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ…
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Hope for the Prodigal
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. Let’s use that passage to illustrate. A father had…
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Biblical Storytelling and You
2Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.–Proverbs 27 I co-lead a Griefshare support group at my church. And we have a basic principle: DON’T SHARE ANYONE ELSE’S GRIEF STORY. Let that person share their own story if they want to. You are encouraged to share your…
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Don’t Give Up!
9And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.—Galatians 6 I once pastored a slowly-ending small church for its final 10 years. And during some of those leaner, depressing years various people questioned why we still existed. I remember church meetings when…
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Your Branches Are God’s Display
16But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18But if…
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A Difficult Analogy to Start Your Thanksgiving!
28Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman…
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The Curse [1-minute read]
10For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live…
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Two Questions About Justification [1-minute read]
16yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.–Galatians 2…
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Obedience and Blessing [1-minute read]
42According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the people of Israel had done all the work. 43And Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it; as the LORD had commanded, so had they done it. Then Moses blessed them.–Exodus 39 God commanded, Moses relayed those commands, and the people obeyed. Their obedience led to…
Joel M Bradshaw 