Did you know that Jesus once stayed an execution? He actually decided to not do what the Mosaic Law said to do. The religious leaders brought a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus, asking him, “The Mosaic Law says this sinful woman should receive the death penalty. What do you say, Jesus?”Continue reading “The fallacy of the slippery slope argument in helping us become more like Jesus – John 7:53-8:11, Part 3”
Tag Archives: holiness
What we can learn from Jesus’ ominous warning to a man he has just healed – John 4:43-5:15, Part 5
Jesus heals a man, and then he says something ominous to the man. John 4, verse 14: “Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” Woah. What got into Jesus? Why so dark after healing the man? IContinue reading “What we can learn from Jesus’ ominous warning to a man he has just healed – John 4:43-5:15, Part 5”
How not to be holy – Ezekiel 45-48, Part 1
There’s a spot on the Conestoga River near my home where a tree leans way out over the river. Someone attached wooden steps on the tree, so you can climb out on the trunk, over the river. They also attached a rope to the tree. One end of the rope is tied to the tree,Continue reading “How not to be holy – Ezekiel 45-48, Part 1”
How evangelicals have given God a bad reputation and what we can do about it – Ezekiel 38 & 39, Part 5
Are there any ways in which we, though we claim to be Christians, are living in opposition to the way of Jesus? Are there any ways in which we are sullying his name and reputation? The more I walk through this life, the more I am concerned that there are many ways we evangelicals, especially,Continue reading “How evangelicals have given God a bad reputation and what we can do about it – Ezekiel 38 & 39, Part 5”
When God weeps over his ruined reputation – Ezekiel 38 & 39, Part 4
Is it possible God is so emotional that he would weep? Is it possible that he cares about his reputation? I think so. In the previous post we talked about how repeated says in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 that he is zealous for his holy name. What “zealous for his holy name” means isContinue reading “When God weeps over his ruined reputation – Ezekiel 38 & 39, Part 4”
God’s passion for relationship with you – Ezekiel 38 & 39, Part 3
How passionate is God about being in relationship with you? How much does he love you? Do you ever wonder about this? Does God seem distant? Keep reading, and I think you’ll find out how God really feels about you. So far in our study of Ezekiel 38, we’ve learned about the vast armies ofContinue reading “God’s passion for relationship with you – Ezekiel 38 & 39, Part 3”
What actions are considered righteous? – Ezekiel 18, Part 3
Editor’s Note: I’m thankful to guest blogger Brandon Hershey for this week’s study of Ezekiel 18! How do you answer the question posed by the title of this post? One person’s view of righteousness might differ significantly from that of another. In America, righteousness is often viewed through whichever political lens a person holds. RepublicanContinue reading “What actions are considered righteous? – Ezekiel 18, Part 3”
Prince Philip’s Surprising Choice For His Hearse – Colossians 3:5-11, Part 1
Did you watch the funeral of Prince Philip who recently passed? Or maybe you saw highlights or pictures on the news. Did you notice that his coffin was transported in a plain old green Land Rover Defender pick-up truck? Defenders are mode of Land Rovers that look kind of like Jeeps. You rarely see DefendersContinue reading “Prince Philip’s Surprising Choice For His Hearse – Colossians 3:5-11, Part 1”
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”
God wants to transform our mess [Crime & Punishment – Deuteronomy 21, part 5]
From our murder mystery in part 1, into the bizarre dead body ritual of part 2 and part 3, and through the messiness of crime in part 4, what have we learned about God’s heart through the teaching of Deuteronomy 21 about crime and punishment? God is serious about the purity of the land, andContinue reading “God wants to transform our mess [Crime & Punishment – Deuteronomy 21, part 5]”