sanctification ⁽¹⁷⁾

Psalm 84; 2 Chronicles 29:1–11, 16–19; Hebrews 9:23–28 A few days ago, we read about Jesus cleansing the Temple. As noted, then, prophets doing “over-the-top” things weren't totally unexpected. Generally, it was uncomfortable, but God’s true prophets weren’t known to bring comfort without discomfort. Sometimes…

1 Samuel 15:7–15; Acts 5:1–11 Every pastor’s favorite sermon topic is tithing/giving. Every pastor absolutely loves talking about you are to give freely to God by giving to the church and other missional activities. In case you’re wondering, that was sarcasm. Most pastor’s hate it.

Exodus 30:22–38; Acts 22:2–16 Have you ever had the experience of a particular smell, either good or bad, that triggers memories? There are a number of smells that will trigger memories of my grandparents’ house. My daughter has also shared experiences where certain smells trigger…

Zechariah 14:1–9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1–18 So often, it takes destruction for transformation. Far too many stories, whether Alcoholics Anonymous, Celebrate Recovery, Narcotics Anonymous, or others involve someone hitting rock bottom before a turn-around occurs. The opening words from this passage from Zechariah are brutal. The…

Protected 6 September 2020 Amos 7:10–17; Habakkuk 2:2–17 Critique and criticism sound very similar. They are often confused and misused. That they have the same root certainly doesn’t help. Critique and criticism, however, have different intents. Critique is a thoughtful analysis of something with pointers…