physical (78)

Ian

Joy in Demise

Habakkuk 3:16–19, Zephaniah 2:1–3 Imagine how Habakkuk is feeling. He understands the impending doom. He knows that Israel can no longer avoid the consequences of generations of bad behavior. Habakkuk uses the imagery of rottenness in his bones. It’s a weird statement. Yet, most of…

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Ian

Empathize and Build

Philippians 2:19–30, Romans 15:1–7 empathy: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner…

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Ian

Faithfully Blind Together

Leviticus 21:16–24, Matthew 20:29–34, 1 Corinthians 1:26–29 Even today people struggle with blindness. Granted, today those who are blind have legal protections, braille, technology, and acceptance that wasn’t part of other cultures. In the New Testament era, the only “job” the blind could get was…

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Ian

Evaluating Value

John 8:2–12, 2 Corinthians 5:10–15 Before we go any further, this story in John is an odd one. It does not show up in the earliest manuscripts that we currently have, however, the story does show up soon (time-wise) after the earliest manuscript. What is…

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Ian

Deceptive Misery

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…

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