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Matthew 27:1–11; John 21:12–23 What’s that to me? Sounds like you have a problem. These and similar phrases/questions are quite prevalent in our society. The first issue that they shine a light on is pride. This may not only be the pride of the responder,…

2 Corinthians 5:14–21; Titus 1:1–3 The “new creation” is an often-quoted phrase. Like many verses in the Scriptures, it can stand on its own. However (you knew that was coming), in context its meaning is so much more important than a mere new creation. It…

Matthew 12:46–50; John 14:18–26 The passage from John would have created a rather large stir in the culture. Jesus publicly equated non-blood relations as equal to familial relations. The family was first in the culture. A good way to think of it is how a…

Luke 4:14–30; John 7:1–9; Romans 13:8–10 Love is a powerful force. Jealousy, envy, and fear are also powerful forces. Over time, love does win over jealousy and envy, but it often takes a lot of time, and the hurt and pain can take a long…

Genesis 18:16–33; Jeremiah 5:1–9; Romans 3:5–24 God hates me. God would/could never love me. God doesn’t care about me. No one can measure up to that standard. Any of those sound familiar? When we read stories such as Sodom and Gomorrah it is easy to…