relationship (202)

Ian

Clear the Earth

Exodus 10:3–15; Joel 1:2–4; Mark 1:4–8 We read the Little House on the Prairie series to our kids. Ingalls relates how locusts one annihilated their crops. A family that barely lived on a shoestring certainly couldn’t afford that loss. That same swarm swept much of…

Continue reading...
Ian

Saintly Ones

Matthew 5:1–16; Revelation 7:1–17 You would think that this question is easy. However, the meaning of saint depends on the context and even timeframe. Chasid (חָסִיד) and Kaddish (קַדִּישׁ) are the Hebrew words that are most often translated as saint (not always, though). Chasid (חָסִיד)…

Continue reading...
Ian

Wall Repair

Ezekiel 13:1–16; 2 Peter 2:1–3 If you ever lived in a dorm or rented an apartment (especially a college one), you may have been “enlightened” by friends or acquaintances about tricks to get your deposit back. One of the biggest items has always been holes…

Continue reading...
Ian

Foundational

Matthew 19:16–26; Hebrews 9:1–14; Romans 10:8–13 The story of the rich young ruler, in my experience, has always been presented in one way…he cared too much for his stuff. This is true…to a point. Is the conclusion that we have often been led to actually…

Continue reading...
Ian

Salvation Balance

Matthew 16:13–17; Romans 10:6–14 In the US, individuality is all the rage, and it has been since at least 4 July 1776. Individuality is not a bad thing, automatically. While there are many aspects to our faith that are indeed communal (and must remain that…

Continue reading...