There are three principles Jesus establishes in these verses that must DEFINE your life to be ALL IN for God: You view everything in this world according to its value as an eternal investment (something earning heavenly reward) versus its value as a commodity (something for present enjoyment only) (19-21). The questions (then) I need […]
Christian Unbelief and Doubt Part 3
For parts 1 and 2 of this series, listen here: Christian Unbelief and Doubt Part 1 and Christian Unbelief and Doubt Part 2. Introduction (2Co 4 – We live by faith, not by sight) Becoming a Christian does not mean we will never struggle with unbelief and doubt (ever again) as it relates to God. Nor should we […]
Watching Over Our Hearts
The Importance of Watching Over Our Hearts (Proverbs 4:23) 1. “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge…” (Pro 18:15) This tells us that what is meant by the heart is one’s mind. (Ecc 1:16-17, 2:1-3, 23, 7:21-22, 25, 8:16) 2. “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” (Pro 27:19) This […]
Becoming Conquerors for Christ – 2 Timothy 2:1-10, Part 1
2 Timothy 2:1-10 Context: Timothy has become timid in his ministry as the interim pastor. (2Ti 1:4 – crying; 1:7 – fearful; 1:8 – ashamed of the Gospel). So, what are Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 2:1-10 meant to communicate to Timothy? 1. How to stop being a crybaby, sissy, simpleton, sell-out and become a […]
Dark Brewed: Hebrews – Part 1
(Heb 12:1-17) Like a good dark brew (of either coffee or beer), this portion of the book of Hebrews delivers the kind of “kick in the pants” that is always appreciated when the pressures and temptations of this life have got us feeling like compromise is the only option. This was the situation of Jewish […]
Matthew 5.2 – Conditional Identity
6. Jesus asserts that the identity we have gained as God’s people must be maintained through productivity and public witness (again Exo 19:4-6 = Israel’s identity also needed to be maintained – i.e. it was conditional): 6.1. (13) In the ancient world, salt was used as fertilizer for the soil/earth (“earth” = th/j gh/j = […]
Love, Lust and the Lord
The importance of understanding these three words (love, lust and the Lord) and their relationship to each other, cannot be overstated. Such understanding is the basis for assessing and addressing the human condition (i.e. why we do what we do; what we should do). Love is a decision/choice whereas lust is a feeling: 1.1. Love […]