“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me…” How many times did we hear that as a kids? In our American culture, sarcasm and jesting are common. Ever had someone make fun of you, only later to say, “Just kidding!!” According to Proverbs, words DO indeed have the power to hurt. … More Just kidding?
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams. —Isaiah 44:3-4 John Piper, in a sermon from Isaiah 44:1-5, “A Precious Promise: The Outpouring … More Pour the Word into Your Mind and Heart
Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence … More If you love the mercy of God and admit the misery of your own condition, you will love this.
In my research on Luke 23, I came across this wonderful sermon by Pastor Steven Cole, of Flagstaff, AZ. He tells of Simon of Cyrene through the eyes of his son, Rufus. Please take time to click this link and read the entire story! The Roman soldiers in our day got a sadistic kick out … More Simon of Cyrene, through the eyes of his son
Proverbs 26:4-5 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes. Hmm…which is it? When we come to confusing passages, we can approach it in one of two ways: “Do these verses contradict each other? Sure … More The Ambiguity of Words
Isaiah 43:10-13 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior. I … More If we lose the sovereignty of God, we eventually lose God.
John Piper on Hebrews 9: So here we are in the modern age, the age of science, space travel—E-mail, heart transplants, instant replays, beepers, 911—and our problem is fundamentally the same as always: our consciences condemn us and make us feel unacceptable to God. We are alienated from God. We don’t feel good enough to … More When your conscience rises up and condemns you, where will you turn?
But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”— a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to … More Like Barabbas
Proverbs 25:21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. From the ESV Study Bible: Although interpreters differ about the meaning of the metaphor of heaping burning coals … More Heaping Burning Coals
John Piper, in a sermon, “Fear Not, I Am with You, I Am Your God” (Isaiah 41) When God calls you to be free from fear as you do evangelism, as you take a test, as you face an interview, as you take a stand against an unjust business practice, as you confront someone with … More Four Glimpses of God’s Greatness
Knowing God through His Word ... Day by Day 