Mercy and truth will not forsake you; tie them to your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart; and you will find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Proverbs 3:3-4 Mercy – Now you recognize that “mercy” is the Hebrew word hesed (see June 27). Now you know…
Iniquity is covered by mercy and truth, and in the fear of the LORD men turn aside from evil Proverbs 16:6 Mercy – “I came to realize that life lived to help others is the only one that matters and that it is my duty, in return for the lavish life God has devolved upon…
The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. Proverbs 29:25 Fear – Did you see the movie Panic Room? It’s a visual enhancement of the Hebrew word used in this verse (haradah). It comes from the root word haradh. Translating it as “fear” doesn’t quite do…
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 Recognize . . Known – Greek has more than one word for “know”. Knowing the difference between these words is important. But…
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…
