Tag: response
-
Natural Freedom
Psalm 29; Isaiah 1:1–4, 16–20; Romans 8:1–8 Psalm 29, without question, is a praise of God. It observes God’s power, strength, and presence. Almost the entire Psalm is about who God is. The last verse, though, is different. It is more of a plea to God about the people of Israel. A cynical person could…
-
Writings Valued
Psalm 47; Exodus 24:15–18; Revelation 1:9–18 Holy scriptures have always been important. Note that the “s” wasn’t capitalized. This isn’t just the Holy Scriptures we define as the Bible (the 66 books of the Old and New Testament). This could include many things. The Apocrypha, for example, is a collection of books of Jewish origin…
-
Sharpening Together
Psalm 98; Deuteronomy 32:44–47; Mark 10:42–45 What are your two pet sins? Or, what sin of others sets you off (lying, adultery, etc.)? And, what sin of yours do you just try to brush off as not being that significant? Most of us have these. It may be severe, and it may be mild. Regardless,…
-
-
Even Smaller Than That
Psalm 22:25–31; Amos 9:7–15; Mark 4:30–32 The Lord’s condemnation of Israel puts Israel in the same category as the people that were pushed out of the Promised Land in the beginning. In many respects, the church in the West probably is similarly categorized. You may have had your instantaneous response of, “Yes, THAT part of…
-
Take the Message Forward
Psalm 150; Jeremiah 30:1–11a; 1 John 3:10–16 We have a lot in front of us. The end of the COVID-era seems to be approaching. Although there seems to be a step back for every step forward, at least we are moving forward. This doesn’t mean we’ll be going back to normal. In fact, the normal…
-
We Ought To Love
Psalm 4; Luke 22:24–30; Acts 3:1–10 The argument that occurred between the disciples is a warning to us all. This is the worldly and fallen condition of man. The worldly/fallen person thinks of self (and even family can be self) above others. There is often a belief that life, money, success, are all part of…
-
How Far Do We Go
Psalm 135; Daniel 3:1–30; 1 John 2:3–11 The fiery furnace story with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Hebrew names: Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah) is one of those ever-present Sunday School stories. It is a great story of faith, trust, and most importantly…love. Love. Yes. Faith and trust really only go so far, especially when it comes…
