Tag: testing

  • Happiness and Joy…or Not

    Happiness and Joy…or Not

    Psalm 44; Isaiah 22:8b–14; James 4:4–10 ‌‌🔎 Focus ‌Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? James 4:4 NRSVue ‌…you did not look at the One who did it, nor did you see the One who planned it… Isaiah 22:11 NRSVue We don’t like pain or suffering. We often do…

  • Enduring Soil

    Enduring Soil

    I’ve read the Parable of the Sower many times. I’ve preached on it. Heard plenty of sermons on it. Verse 15 hit me today. What struck me this time, in particular, was “endurance”. When you go back and re-read the parable, endurance makes sense. It may indeed be the point of the entire parable. Developing…

  • Changing Diapers

    Changing Diapers

    Psalm 74; Isaiah 26:16–27:1; Luke 11:14–28 When Joni (my wife) was pregnant with our first (to be born) child, we had an odd conversation with another couple. They told us (almost mockingly) that soon our conversation would change to include the color and consistency of our child’s poop. We chuckled. That was ridiculous. Who would…

  • Prophetic Testing

    Prophetic Testing

    How’s this for a test? Does the person seek to make the “other” the enemy? Not their struggles, their opinion, even their sins…the person themselves.

  • Discerning Differences and Spirits

    2 Timothy 3:1–9, Hebrews 12:11–15 (read online ⧉) Every generation (so far) says of the one to follow has said at least one of the lists in 2 Timothy about the generation that follows. It’s not that there isn’t truth to it, yet it is not necessarily the same heart truth. Especially the transition from…

  • Let It Be

    Psalm 112:1–9, Colossians 3:12–17, James 3:13–18 (read online ⧉) Galatians 5:22–23 lists the following as fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. 2 Peter 1:5–7 lists the following characteristics to pursue: faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, love. 1 Timothy 6:11 has its own list of characteristics:…

  • Another Test?

    Nehemiah 8:1–6; Luke 24:18–27; Acts 17:10–15 (read online ⧉) The Israelite Exiles have returned home, sort of. As Ezra reads the Scriptures, the remnant of Israel learns what it means to be God’s chosen people. Generations had already wandered away emotionally and spiritually. Then they went into exile in a foreign land with various gods…

  • Choose Your Answer?

    Judges 6:11–24, Psalm 27:7–14, Isaiah 6:8–10 (read online ⧉) Gideon had a prayer. Likely many of the Israelites had the same prayer, “Save us!” It was certainly a worthwhile prayer. We could say that Gideon was chosen. He was. We look backward to Scriptures and we say, “Of course, Gideon was chosen.” Gideon certainly did…