“Know this day that I am not speaking with your sons who have not known and who have not see the discipline of the Lord your God – His greatness, His mighty hand and His outstretched arm.” Deut 11:2 The Discipline of the Few Discipline – The joy of discipline is hard to embrace. We…
“That teaching is part of the Good News of the blessed God that he gave me to tell” 1 Timothy 1:11 (NCV) Be Happy God’s Way Blessed – Here’s a case where translation and tradition have conspired to create a very different word picture over the centuries. When we correct the translation, it’s like going…
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit” John 15:16 Too Much of Everything Not choose – Os Guinness makes a dramatic point about modern life: there are too many choices. We are overwhelmed with too much of everything. A moment’s reflection (and that’s…
“I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction” 2 Corinthians 7:4 Redemptive Joy Joy – I have a hard time feeling joyful when things aren’t going well. My perspective on life begins to shift to my troubles. I get occupied with how I can fix things for me. And suddenly, I find that life…
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.” John 15:11 Joy is the byproduct Joy – Joy is the relationship word. Joy is God’s gracious action toward us. And Jesus tells us that joy is the byproduct of something we can…
“fixing our eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame” Hebrews 12:2 Joy is God’s Graciousness Joy – Jesus went to the cross for joy. That seems impossible. Isn’t joy supposed to be about happiness, about life at its best, about…
“men of whom the world was not worthy” Hebrews 11:38 The Weight of the World Worthy – Do you know the principle of leverage? If you want to lift something very heavy, you can use leverage. You place a support point near the object you want to lift. You put a long pole under the…
“For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” Philippians 1:29 The Measure of Worthiness Suffer – This word shouldn’t be new to us. It’s pascho from which we get passion and pathos. It’s the word for suffering. What is perhaps…
“You must be blameless before the Lord your God” Deuteronomy 18:13 Blameless is a Social Concept Blameless – The basic idea behind the Hebrew word tamam is “to be complete”. When it is translated as “blameless”, it carries the idea of something that is free from impurity. That’s why this word is often used about…
“according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything,” Philippians 1:20 Why We Aren’t Ashamed Not be put to shame – When we think about shame, we usually have a Greek idea in mind. Shame for the Greeks was a feeling associated with being made ugly in…
