In the temple courts, Jesus is standing alone with a woman who had been caught in adultery. With her accusers now gone, Jesus responds to the woman, in John chapter 8, verses 10-11: “Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neitherContinue reading “How Jesus sets us free to live a flourishing life – John 7:53-8:11, Part 4”
Tag Archives: freedom
Christians are free from the law and free for holiness – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 2
In the United States we often say, “It’s a free country, I can do what I want.” But that’s not true. Yes, the USA is a free country, but people are not free to do whatever they want. We have TONS of laws, and if you break a law you will face the consequences. WeContinue reading “Christians are free from the law and free for holiness – Galatians 5:16-26, Part 2”
How Jesus sets us free – Galatians 1:1-5:15, Part 4
One of my favorite Bible verses is Galatians 2:20. Open a Bible and read Galatians 2:17-21, and take note especially of verse 20. See what Paul says in verse 20? The amazing truth is that by faith Christ Jesus can live in us!!! That’s a million times better than trying to keep the law! GodContinue reading “How Jesus sets us free – Galatians 1:1-5:15, Part 4”
Are social media companies making promises they can’t fulfill? – Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12, Part 4
Have you seen the recent commercials by Facebook or Tik Tok? Look at the smiles and joy emanating from the people in the commercials. What message would you say these commercials are sending? Here’s what I think the message is: “If you participate in our network you will experience joyful life, true community, fulfillment andContinue reading “Are social media companies making promises they can’t fulfill? – Ecclesiastes 5:8-6:12, Part 4”
Let your freedom be ruled by love – Acts 21, Part 5
A man and his family went to church recently. This man and his family are healthy people, and believed that they do not need to wear masks. I’m writing this in July 2020 as coronavirus cases in the USA just exceeded 4 million, and many states are requiring the wearing of masks in public placesContinue reading “Let your freedom be ruled by love – Acts 21, Part 5”
How Christian freedom should not lead Christians to behave badly – First Sunday of Advent 2019, Part 4
Have you ever heard Christians say that if churches or Christian institutions don’t have rules and regulations, people will go off the rails leading to anarchy? So if we want to be good Christians, they say, then we should be making new rules, like the ones in the previous post: no wearing lipstick or smokingContinue reading “How Christian freedom should not lead Christians to behave badly – First Sunday of Advent 2019, Part 4”
Finding our way through the muddy waters of law and grace – First Sunday of Advent 2019, Part 3
Do Christians have Christian laws we are supposed to follow in order to be right in God’s eyes? Can you think of any? This is a tricky subject because Christians are called to live a certain way, so how is that different from following the Old Testament Law? We’re about to discover that this wasContinue reading “Finding our way through the muddy waters of law and grace – First Sunday of Advent 2019, Part 3”
Peer pressure and our longings – First Sunday of Advent 2019, Part 2
Have you ever been swayed by what other people think, even though you don’t really agree with them? Have you ever been influenced to act contrary to your beliefs because you feel pressure from others? Often we say that teenagers succumb to peer pressure, but the reality is that adults of all ages are justContinue reading “Peer pressure and our longings – First Sunday of Advent 2019, Part 2”
The world-changing power of forgiveness – Philemon 8-25, Part 4.
Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to forgive someone who hurt you? Did you find it difficult to do so? It can be scary to forgive, especially when the pain runs deep. Will that person respect your forgiveness? What if they hurt you again? Are they really sorry? How do youContinue reading “The world-changing power of forgiveness – Philemon 8-25, Part 4.”
What is sound doctrine? Titus 1:10-16, Part 3
In this series of posts on Titus 1:10-16, Paul has been talking about redemptive church discipline. He has described how to practice faithful confrontation that seeks to encourage people away from divisiveness toward sound doctrine. But what is sound doctrine? What is going on with these people? In today’s post, we’re going to focus onContinue reading “What is sound doctrine? Titus 1:10-16, Part 3”