choice – Three Minute Bible

August 7, 2025August 7, 2025

Philippians 2:12a – Trust and Obey

A man stands looking at an ominous doorway (Grok)

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence…

Summary: Paul’s commendation of the Philippians’ obedience points us to a vital truth: that true obedience is only possible when we rely on God to guide us.

Paul’s words about obedience in this passage are like a key that opens many doors. One door leads to doing God’s will. The others, however many there are, lead into darkness.

Discerning the right door without God’s help is beyond human understanding.

January 5, 2024January 5, 2024

Galatians 1:16c – Choosing Jesus

… my immediate response was not to consult any human being.

Summary: There comes a time in most people’s lives when we have to make a choice. Who are we going to serve? Who are we going to follow? The ultimate choice is choosing between personal pride and submitting to God.

August 29, 2019August 28, 2019

Worlds Apart – John 17: 16

They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

By my count, the word “world” is used fifty-seven times in John’s gospel alone. Fifty-seven! When Jesus uses the term it seems to mean something different than when us earthlings use the term. In today’s verse, Jesus once again refers to the world as something apart from the … world.

What do I mean by the world being apart from the world?

The way Jesus uses the word, the disciples are not part of the world. Yet we know that from a human perspective that until they died they still lived in the world. In yesterday’s verse, Jesus says, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” So Jesus uses the word “world” two mean two different things. One world they remain a part of, the other world they are not part of. Or as Jesus puts it, they are “not of the world.”

As usual, Jesus grammar is telling. He sees things differently than the rest of us humans. What does he mean, “…not of the world?”