Tag: relationships
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Can You Relate?
1 Corinthians 3:5–9; Philippians 1:12–21 “It can never happen here.” “No one respects God here.” “How could God move in this [horrible] place?” You can probably think of a number of questions or statements that give an excuse or justification for why you can’t be a missionary where you are. Let’s not devalue those statements.…
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See and Be Seen
Genesis 16:7–14; John 1:47–51 Have you ever been to a big event? Maybe a concert? Maybe a sports game? And then you spend anywhere from 2 to 4 hours with thousands of your closest friends. Most of those people really aren’t your friends. Unless you are ticket holder buddies, you are unlikely to see them…
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Instigation
Jeremiah 15:10–14; Matthew 10:16–23; Matthew 12:46–50 Christmas is coming! All I want for Christmas is for 2020 to be over. How about you? 2020 may be the year of division. There is no question that the country is divided. While 2016 was certainly divisive, it is almost nothing to today. As much as many may…
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Indulge Me
Matthew 23:23–36 Narcissus was a hunter in Greek mythology. He was the most beautiful person. He was so dissatisfied with those who claimed they loved him that he expected them to kill themselves to prove their love of him. It wasn’t until he passed a smooth pool of water and saw his own reflection that…
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Want
Exodus 20:1–21; 1 Kings 3:16–28; 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 The tale of envy and spite in the story relayed in 1 Kings is abominable to most of us. How could any person ever do that, even if it is not their child? Yet, there are far too many tragic stories of people treating their children—their legacy—with…
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Following Further
Acts 18:24–19:5; 1 Corinthians 3:5–15; 1 Corinthians 3:18–23 (read online ⧉) Continuing from yesterday, Peter and Paul were, and remain, worthy examples to follow. In particular, it is their faithful following of Jesus Christ and their wrestling with the faith for themselves and others. Not too long into things, however, already following fell into camps.…
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A Little Prophesying
Deuteronomy 13:1–5; Deuteronomy 18:20–22; Jeremiah 28:1–9 Doomsday prophets are certainly a thing. There are a lot of them, and of varying kinds: epidemiologist (disease), environment, morality, political, sexuality, education, freedom, financial, and so on and on. Doom sells. Doomsayers may also be helpful to guide us toward some sort of preparation or change. At this…
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La, La, La, I Can’t Hear You
Jeremiah 26:1–15; Romans 5:1–10 (read online ⧉) The news is filled with doom. Doom, doom, doom. Many of our movies and entertainment are filled with doom. In the middle of doom, hope is a breath of fresh air. On the other hand, some times a message of doom in a time of despair isn’t doom…