Tag: life

  • Long Haul Saving

    Numbers 21:4–9, Galatians 5:22–24, 2 Corinthians 6:3–13 The story is of the staff is fascinating, and we can see its long-reaching effects even today (look at many ambulances). However, as fun as that might be, we need to talk about one of the underlying causes of the tale…the impatience of the Israelites. In many ways,…

  • Overwhelming River

    Ezekiel 47:1–12, 2 Corinthians 3:17–4:1, Matthew 28:16–20 This image of the River of Life spreading out into the world provides us something to reflect upon. The further the river gets from the presence of God, the wider and deeper it gets. Eventually, it takes the Dead Sea and makes it living water, too. In the…

  • No Face Value

    Genesis 20:1–18, 1 Samuel 16:7, Proverbs 21:2, Romans 1: 18–25 When you look at someone, can you tell they are a Christian? If you can, there are a few reasons why: (1) Pride…yours for God knows and weighs the heart; (2) Their life and spirit show Jesus; (3) is there a 3rd one? In the…

  • Blessings and Consequences

    How does it work when 1 generation is faithful, and the next is faithless? Is it an equation of 1000-4=996? Then the next generation is faithful, and it is again 1000?

  • Staying Behind

    Ezra 1:1–6, Hebrews 13:9–15 Imagine being one of the children or grandchildren who had only heard of the homeland. Imagine having only the legends to live on. Your family told you of a place where you actually belonged, instead of being an outsider among other outsiders. Even those who had come from the land had…

  • Joy in Demise

    Habakkuk 3:16–19, Zephaniah 2:1–3 Imagine how Habakkuk is feeling. He understands the impending doom. He knows that Israel can no longer avoid the consequences of generations of bad behavior. Habakkuk uses the imagery of rottenness in his bones. It’s a weird statement. Yet, most of us understand it if we’ve ever had the flu, broken…

  • The Duty to Pass On

    1 Timothy 4:13–16, Romans 12:3–8, Acts 20:22–32 Teaching is a core function of passing on the faith. There have been plenty of stories (and continue to be) of people coming to Jesus without being taught about Jesus. The Holy Spirit moves as God wills. By and large, though, people need to be taught about Jesus.…

  • An Expert Problem

    Ecclesiastes 1:12–18, Ecclesiastes 12:12–14, John 7:37–49 One of the biggest indicators of future success is a good education. Especially in this day and age, education is not a luxury, nor is it just the trappings of the well-to-do. Education is a necessity. The “Teacher” of Ecclesiastes is often assumed to be Solomon, however, based on…