"Unless we had this hope we should long ago have been sunk..."
lection reflection for 4 June 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
Today's New Testament reading is from Hebrews 6, where we are taught / reminded of the certain hope of God's promises in Christ Jesus:
God wouldn’t change his plan. He wanted to make this perfectly clear to those who would receive his promise, so he took an oath. God did this so that we would be encouraged. God cannot . . .
Posted in: reflections
"I'll follow you, but..."
lection reflection for 3 June 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
Today's gospel reading (Luke 9.51-62) tells of three would-be disciples who all state their eagerness to follow Jesus but whom all also couch that willingness with apparently more pressing needs. Over and over and over, we read their responses to Jesus' call on them. "I'll follow you, but..." And over and over and over, . . .
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"Pray, hope, and don't worry..."
from Padre Pio
review: Confronting Old Testament Controversies by Tremper Longman III
Pressing Questions about Evolution, Sexuality, History, and Violence
Dr. Tremper Longman III is a well-known name among Evangelicals with an interest in Old Testament studies. He taught Old Testament for nearly 40 years before his retirement from the classroom in 2017. He co-authored a venerable Old Testament introduction used in many universities and seminaries. He has written a host of commentaries from the . . .
Posted in: review
on anxiety and faith
lection reflection for 29 May 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
Then he said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, don’t worry about your life, what you will eat; or about the body, what you will wear. For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.Consider the ravens: They don’t sow or reap; they don’t have a storeroom or a barn; yet God feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than the . . .
Posted in: reflections
trusting in ourselves when things go well
lection reflection for 28 May 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
Before crossing into the Promised Land, Moses prophetically warned the children of Israel (again!) not to think too highly of themselves or to trust in their own abilities and strength when things ended up going smoothly after decades wandering the desert. For then, as now, when times are tough, it is easy to turn to God in hope and trust, . . .
Posted in: reflections
on being led astray by idols
lection reflection for 23 May 2019 / reading the bible daily with the church
For the worship of idols not to be names is the beginning and cause and end of every evil.
--Wisdom 14.27
In our contemporary world, idol worship is not something we consider very much. We are far too 'sophisticated' and modern for idolatry to be a threat to our faith. Or are we?
Luther reminds us . . .
Posted in: reflections