Did you receive the Spirit …?
Summary: Receiving a gift requires an act of acceptance. Accepting Jesus is the first step to receiving the Spirit.
Continue reading “Galatians 3:2b – Open House”Galatians 3:2a – One Thing
I would like to learn just one thing from you …
Summary: Paul’s preface to his question presents us with an interesting premise. If, instead of asking twenty questions, you can only ask one, what is the important question to ask?
Continue reading “Galatians 3:2a – One Thing”Galatians 2:20g – The Cold Light of Day
… and gave himself for me.
Summary: Knowing that Jesus gave himself for us only has meaning if we know we need him.
Continue reading “Galatians 2:20g – The Cold Light of Day”Galatians 1:4c – It’s Complicated
… according to the will of our God and Father,
Summary: When we look at something extremely large and complicated, it is difficult to grasp the full measure of what it is. God’s will is like that. Take, for example, the universe. We know a lot about the night sky, but compared to what there is to know, we are about as knowledgeable as a two-year-old in a modern car factory.
Continue reading “Galatians 1:4c – It’s Complicated”Ephesians 6:4 – The Curse of Free Will
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Summary: Being a father is a tall order. As humans, we are beset with many hurdles and distractions. Meanwhile, God is our spiritual Father. He is never too busy for you or me.
Continue reading “Ephesians 6:4 – The Curse of Free Will”Ephesians 5:25b-26a – The Holy Within
… and gave himself up for her to make her holy,
Summary: Understanding spiritual matters is a challenge for all of us. We are all born of the flesh first, and born spiritually second. Learning to “see” spiritually is a skill, like learning to walk physically.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:25b-26a – The Holy Within”Ephesians 5:6b – The Choice
… for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
Summary: What is “wrath?” Is it something we should worry about? Does God really get angry with us? These questions are important when we consider where we want to spend eternity after this body of flesh we live in stops working.
Continue reading “Ephesians 5:6b – The Choice”Matthew 6:10 – God’s Will
… your will be done …
Summary: We are moving on to the next section in the Lord’s Prayer, the one that talks about God’s “will” being done. It should be interesting!
Continue reading “Matthew 6:10 – God’s Will”Hebrews 12:1 — More Than Me
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses …
Summary: Returning to the word “our,” we discover that there might be more reasons that Jesus told us to pray this way.
Continue reading “Hebrews 12:1 — More Than Me”Psalm 2:7 — Beget and Begot
… today I have become your father.
Summary: As we consider the role of the Father and Jesus in our lives, how we understand what a father and son are impacts how we see God.
Continue reading “Psalm 2:7 — Beget and Begot”