holiness (61)

Ian

Guarding Wrong Things

Psalm 51:1–13, Luke 15:1–10, 1 Timothy 1:12–17 “Be gracious to me…Against…you alone…have I sinned…Purify me…Turn your face…from my sins…create a clean heart for me…Do not banish me…sustain me…sinners will return to you.” The (very) abbreviated Psalm 51:1–13 above probably resonates with you. The Psalms are…

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Ian

Deceptive Holiness

1 Timothy 4:6–16, Colossians 2:1–23 myth: usually a traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural phenomenon. Myths are powerful. Often the struggle of myths is their competition…

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Ian

Paths To Choose

1 Samuel 5:1–6:12, Jeremiah 42:1–43:7 Asking God what to do can be a “dangerous” prayer. It may lead to something that puts you outside of your comfort zone. It can also be the most fulfilling thing you ever do. Fulfilling God’s plans sometimes means that…

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Ian

Living Beyond

Matthew 16:24–28, Romans 14:7–9, 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 “Die to self.” This phrase is often spoken in Christian circles. When it is fully unpacked, it isn’t a bad phrase. However, it is rarely unpacked and instead just left hanging. The first, and primary, place in Scripture…

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Ian

Faithful Asking

Genesis 18:17–33, Colossians 2:6–19 There are two different amazing streams of thought in this vignette of Abraham and God. The first is Abraham’s audaciousness. That a faithful person is free to ask God for clarification is beautiful. This shows us that when we are faithful…

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