church (395)

Ian

Path Lighting

Joshua 4:1–7; Joshua 8:30–35; Proverbs 27:17 What do you remember? What “traditions” or practices do you remember from your childhood? What did that teach you? Over the years, the church universal developed many practices to teach the faith to its people. It often had a…

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Ian

Peace-Filled Traditions

Matthew 15:1–9; Luke 11:42–46 Yesterday (or the weeks prior to it), all Americans had the opportunity to participate in a great tradition…voting. Regardless of whether your candidates won or lost, there is something great in this tradition. People choosing their leaders is a great gift,…

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Ian

The Tax Man Comes

Mark 2:13–17; Luke 19:1–11 Zacchaeus has been a staple in Children’s church for years…♫♪“Zacchaeus was a wee little man, a wee little man was he.”♪♫ His stature makes him identifiable for children. They understand being too short to see things that all the adults get…

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Ian

Saintly Ones

Matthew 5:1–16; Revelation 7:1–17 You would think that this question is easy. However, the meaning of saint depends on the context and even timeframe. Chasid (חָסִיד) and Kaddish (קַדִּישׁ) are the Hebrew words that are most often translated as saint (not always, though). Chasid (חָסִיד)…

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Ian

Cast Off

Matthew 23:13-15; Acts 15:1–22; Colossians 2:4–13 There is no question about Jesus’ attitude toward the scribes and the Pharisees in this verse. It seems pretty straightforward. What if it isn’t? What if Jesus was instead using their language in a way so as to make a point?  The Pharisees,…

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