living ⁽¹³³⁾

Exodus 28:15–30, Ezekiel 36:24–30, Luke 3:7–9, Luke 19:37–40 “I’ve done too much.” “God would never forgive me.” “I would be [struck by lightening/catch on fire/combust/die] if I walked through the doors.” “If you (or God) knew what I had done…” Have you heard any of…

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…

Matthew 15:10–20, Luke 6:39–42, Ephesians 6:12–18 In our current political and cultural climate, there are plenty of sharp barbs being thrown out. If we wanted to, we could say flaming arrows, which is metaphorically accurate. It’s pretty nuts, and certainly unloving, unpeaceful, impatient (i.e, doesn’t…

Numbers 32:16–22, Matthew 3:13–17, John 13:1–17, 2 Corinthians 5:14–17 Service takes many forms. We are often tied into our mind’s understanding of service, and thus become blind to what service can look like. In the case of Reubenites and Gadites, their service took place in…

Nehemiah 13:4–22, Matthew 12:1–8 Nehemiah was “just” a layperson. He probably had no formal religious or other education. He wasn’t a “leader” of the people. He did, however, have an important position of trust with King Artaxerxes. To be the cupbearer meant that you were…