THE STORY OF JESUS: Leviticus 18-20 “Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:37) A variety of laws on many different issues, though mostly regarding sex. Some laws make sense, some don’t; some seem irrelevant and some universal. But which is which, and who decides? Are we bound…
Life is precious!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Leviticus 16-17 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” (Leviticus 17:11) God makes us alive by His Spirit; blood keeps us alive, giving our body…
I don’t have to give in to the weeds!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 13:24-30 “No… you may uproot the wheat with them.” (Matthew 13:29) The kingdom of God/heaven is this world, as originally created by God. We know the story from Genesis 1-3 how the Enemy sows weeds of selfishness. But God does not give us up on, He doesn’t kill us to start over. God…
Good soil?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 13:18-23 “Good soil… produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23) The point of planting seed is producing a crop. Jesus often explains that the crop God desires is goodness, love, mercy, justice. Also known as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) This is what…
Ears that long to hear!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 13:10-17 “Many… people longed to see what you see but did not see it…” (Matthew 13:17) Jesus identifies the key to faith: longing. To seek and desire with intensity, to desperately want something. Faith is more than agreeing with the mind, it is seeking with the heart. All that is required is…
Hearing God requires listening better!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 13:1-9 “Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (Matthew 13:1-9) Jesus has a large audience, a perfect opportunity to WOW them with His wisdom. Instead He tells them a simple little story, and essentially says ‘figure it out!’ If my messages were this cryptic, I’d lose my job. But Jesus wasn’t trying to…
Hang in there!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 17 “When I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.” (Psalm 17:15) These remind me of the words of Job, when he was in a tough place. “I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been…
Staying clean today!?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Leviticus 11-15 “You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them.” (Leviticus 15:31) These chapters contain the purity laws, distinguishing between ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’. The laws are put in a religious context but…
In spirit and truth!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Leviticus 8-10 “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.” (Leviticus 9:6) Why does God have to make it so tough for the people to worship Him? Aaron loses two sons because they did it wrong, yikes. And yet, it…
‘All in the family!’
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 12:46-50 “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matthew 12:50) At what point did Adam and Eve’s family stop being related? Aren’t we all still related, especially through our common connection to God? The idea of ‘image-bearer’ conveyed a family connection (see Genesis 5:1-3)….