It’s one of the most quoted verses of the Bible: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Echoing the words of Jesus to leave tomorrow’s worries for tomorrow, Philippians 4:6 points us to an antidote for anxiety: prayer. A current situationContinue reading “Knowing Doesn’t Fix It”
Category Archives: Exposition
10 to Jesus
For centuries, the Christian church has given careful attention to the Ten Commandments. In his commentaries, John Calvin devotes hundreds of pages to expounding them, and in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, he describes and explains them as the summary of the moral law in the Old Testament (2.8.1). Regardless of whether we agreeContinue reading “10 to Jesus”
The Lion Roars
Amos – The Lion Roars & Redeems Have you ever tried to memorize the order of the minor prophets before? Let’s be honest, have you tried, got it down for a day or a week, and now months later… it’s gone? Yeah, most of us have been there. However, the minor prophets are some ofContinue reading “The Lion Roars”
How Long Will You Halt Between Two Opinions?
The Jewish community is currently studying the story of the Golden Calf in Exodus 30:11-34:35, and parallel to this story of idol worship in the wilderness comes the tale of Elijah and the prophets of Baal. This tale can be found in the Book of Kings I 18:1-39. King Ahab from the House of OmriContinue reading “How Long Will You Halt Between Two Opinions?”
A Little Rest for Your Soul
Every week I attend a particular meeting with a woman I admire. At the start, we exchange our pleasantries, and I often ask how she’s doing. Without a second to think, she answers. “I’m ducky,” she says, unsurprisingly. Her answer is always the same. Ducky? I had no idea what that meant until she explained.Continue reading “A Little Rest for Your Soul”
Is There a Difference between Sin, Iniquity and Transgression?
In Psalm 32:5, the psalmist says, “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.’” In this one verse, “sin,” “iniquity,” and “transgression” are all mentioned. Basically, the three words communicate the same idea: evil and lawlessness, as defined by GodContinue reading “Is There a Difference between Sin, Iniquity and Transgression?”
Just So You Know
The first verse in Matthew’s gospel tells us three important things about Jesus that sum up a great deal of what follows. 1. Matthew is about Jesus, the Christ. Matthew is a book about Jesus “the Christ,” that is, the promised Anointed One of the Old Testament, the Messiah (1 Sam. 2:10; Ps. 2:2; Dan.Continue reading “Just So You Know”
Treating HIS Name with Honor
When I was young, my little league team occasionally got together at a pizza buffet after our games. We ate, sipped our Cokes, then begged our parents for quarters to play Pac-Man. When I was a little older, my younger brother and I got a Nintendo with the pinball-themed game Pinbot for Christmas. Beating theContinue reading “Treating HIS Name with Honor”
The Day of the Lord
36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 For just as the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating andContinue reading “The Day of the Lord”
Much of What God Does Is Just Beyond Our View
Just as the four seasons breeze in, coloring the landscape and altering the temperature, and melt away, taking deferential leave at their appointed time, so the seasons of our lives come and go, coloring and altering the landscape of our homes, tasks, emotions, and relationships. We have no control over the seasons of the year:Continue reading “Much of What God Does Is Just Beyond Our View”
Intentional Faith 