Romans 14, Part 2. On what the kingdom is made of. Read Part 1 here. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. — Romans 14:17 Into the Word Yesterday we looked across the table and saw a brother… Continue reading What the Kingdom Eats
Category: Devotionals
The One Across the Table
Romans 14, Part 1. On the brother Christ died for. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. — Romans 14:15 Into the Word The Bible is a book of treasure. We usually mean by that the treasure of salvation, the word that gives us eternal life. But the same… Continue reading The One Across the Table
He Came Hungry
And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. — Mark 11:13 Into the Word It is the week He will die. Jesus leaves Bethany… Continue reading He Came Hungry
What the Clay Is Carrying
Nobody hides a fortune in the cheapest container in the house. Paul says God did. On purpose. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. — 2 Corinthians 4:7 Into the Word Corinth knew fine things. Its bronze was prized across… Continue reading What the Clay Is Carrying
The Beauty of Putting Others First — A Culture of Partnership Shaped by the Gospel
“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.” (2 Peter 3:15) Every time I read this sentence written by Peter, my heart is warmed. This is not simply a passing mention of a colleague. The words “dear brother”… Continue reading The Beauty of Putting Others First — A Culture of Partnership Shaped by the Gospel
Providence Sown in Scattering— What the Jewish Diaspora Teaches Christians
Introduction The word “Diaspora” (διασπορά) comes from the Greek dia- (across, through) combined with sporá (seed, sowing), making its literal meaning “dispersion” or “scattering.” The image of sowing seeds lies quietly within the root sporá itself. When this word appeared in the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, it took deep root… Continue reading Providence Sown in Scattering— What the Jewish Diaspora Teaches Christians
A Living Hope — 1 Peter 1:3-4
Everyone has hope. But there are two kinds. One kind is a distant hope — somewhere in the future, it might happen, it might not. This kind of hope is like the horizon: you walk toward it, and it stays forever ahead of you, always out of reach. The other kind is a living hope.… Continue reading A Living Hope — 1 Peter 1:3-4
Christ the Living Stone — 1 Peter 2:4-6
Peter’s name in Greek means “rock.” This was no accident. When Jesus said to Simon, “You are Peter,” he was declaring an identity — an unshakeable foundation. A rock is solid, steadfast, capable of bearing weight. But what Peter confesses in chapter 2 of his letter is not just any rock. It is a living… Continue reading Christ the Living Stone — 1 Peter 2:4-6
The Trinity Is the Perfect Description of God’s Love— Meditating on the Structure of Love in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Introduction — The Oldest Question, Still an Unfamiliar Truth “The Trinity? Honestly, I don’t quite get it.” Even those who have walked in faith for many years often say this. Three persons yet one God — it doesn’t easily resolve itself in the mind. Even those who have attended church since childhood often find themselves… Continue reading The Trinity Is the Perfect Description of God’s Love— Meditating on the Structure of Love in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
The French Revolution That Rejected All Authority, and the World Its Descendants Inhabit
Prologue: The Guillotine Is Gone, but the Revolution Continues On January 21, 1793, the head of Louis XVI fell from the guillotine. The crowd roared. The king was dead. But what the revolutionaries truly wanted to kill was not a single king. What they aimed at was authority itself. Royal power. Church authority. Tradition. God.… Continue reading The French Revolution That Rejected All Authority, and the World Its Descendants Inhabit