holiness ⁽⁶¹⁾

Isaiah 43:1–4, 1 Peter 1:13–23 Do you know somebody’s name? Of course, you do. You know yours. You know the names of loved ones. You know the names of friends. You probably know the names of people that are not that close. We sometimes dismiss…

Psalm 105:1–4, Deuteronomy 24:17–22, Acts 6:1–7 —John Wesley “…no holiness, but social holiness…” has been misused over the years, being equated with social justice. John Wesley was specifically speaking about what would now call private versus public faith. For John Wesley—and the church as a…

Isaiah 49:25–26, Deuteronomy 16:11–12, Galatians 3:23–26 Captivity. When we go to a zoo, we see animals in captivity. In an attempt to keep the animals healthier, zoos invest more and more money to improve the “habitats” of the animals. It feels good to us for…

2 Corinthians 9:6–11, Matthew 6:16–18 Misery loves company, so it is said. By misery, we aren’t talking sadness, grief, or mourning. We’re talking about the attitude of heart, soul, and mind that finds the worst in it all and revels in it. Sadly, there is…

Exodus 33:18-23, Exodus 34:29–35, 1 Kings 19:3–18, John 1:10–18 Have you ever hidden your face? Embarrassment. Shame. Guilt. Avoidance. The Israelites hid their faces from God. Originally it was out of fear. They only understood fearing gods, as gods were capricious and unpredictable. Now they…