nation (72)

Ian

2nd Tuesday after Pentecost

Psalm 11, Deuteronomy 32:35, Ezekiel 18:30–32, Matthew 5:43–48 If you’ve been on social media any amount of time, you might notice that the longer you’re on it, the less you see from those who think differently. Another way to think of it is that the…

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Ian

2nd Monday after Pentecost

Deuteronomy 10:12–22, Romans 2:25–29, 1 Corinthians 7:17–24 Circumcision has long been a sign of being Jewish. For many years, it was used to identify Jewish males and hold it against them. In Deuteronomy (Moses’ farewell address), Moses speaks of the circumcision of the heart. Moses…

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Ian

Perfect Perfectionism

Matthew 5:43–48, 2 Corinthians 12:1–10 Perfection. There are many well-meaning people that say perfection is the enemy of progress, profit, completion, excellence, or that perfection is the disease of a nation or a disguise of insecurity. Generally, however, it is not perfection that is the…

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Ian

Forgiveness Such As This

Psalm 38, Leviticus 5:1–19, Luke 17:1–4 “Already forgotten.” “Don’t worry about it.” We sometimes hear these words when trying to apologize or make amends for something we have done wrong to another. Sometimes the person says these words as a veiled acceptance for the apology.

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Ian

Knowing Whose

2 Chronicles 6:32–42; Jeremiah 31:7–14 Solomon was ceremoniously blessing the newly constructed Temple. There is a lot of political pomp and circumstance that is part of the ceremony. It would have been expected, and much of the political speech dressed up in religious language had…

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