Therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. 2 Corinthians 5:16 According to the Flesh – Those of us who grew up in the church have a built-in response to this phrase. The…
for this son of mine was dead, and lived again, and was lost, and was found Luke 15:24 This Son of Mine – What’s the point of the parable of the prodigal son? Did you think that the story was about the son’s folly? Was it about the jealous indignation of the brother? Was it…
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power may be of God, not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 Excellence of the Power – God deliberately makes your physical existence out of Tupperware. “What? Are you telling me that all those aches and pains, all that struggle and toil,…
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the excellence of the power may be of God, not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7 Earthen Vessels – Do you like oysters? How about clams? Whether shellfish are or are not on your list, we all know one thing for certain. We don’t eat the…
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss because of Christ Philippians 3:7 Gain and Loss – Scoring in tennis is rather bizarre. With words like “love,” “deuce” and “advantage,” it’s hard to know what’s going on unless you are familiar with the vocabulary. The same is true in this verse….
Why do you do these things? We are also men of like passions with you Acts 14:15 Like Passions – The gospel message is very clear. We are all the same. We don’t seem to have much trouble recognizing equality when it comes to our standing before God. We all admit we’re sinners. None of…
The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. Proverbs 16:33 Every Decision – Need to make a decision about something that is not clear? You could always cast lots. Oh, I can see your face now. A little surprise followed by immediate revulsion. “Why, that’s gambling (or nearly…
I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you Acts 3:6 Not Possess – If only we could make such a claim! If only we were able, with complete confidence, to say, “I don’t have earthly treasure, but what I do have I will give to you. I…
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven Matthew 6:20 Lay Up – A few days ago we looked at some very difficult verses about the poor. After reading the comments on Proverbs 17:5 and 6, a friend of mine wrote this: “You did a good job in explaining the problem, but what is the…
Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11:21 If – Do we really have any clue what God is doing in the circumstances of our lives? Consider poor Martha. Her brother dies. Her life is thrown into tragedy and chaos. Nothing seems to make sense, especially the fact that…
