Part of the hope in 1 Peter is the good news that who we are (identity) is now centered upon our union with Christ. Peter refers to our identity as Christians repeatedly, both to encourage us in God’s work on our behalf and to exhort us to stand firm and endure. Here are some of the things we notice about who we are and what we have in Christ.
Continue reading Who I am In Christ…in 1 PeterTag: Jesus
Have You Considered? (10 Things to Think About)
Every day, we fill our minds with lots of thoughts, ideas, daydreams, concerns, worries, and considerations. What we think about it isn’t neutral. Our thoughts direct our desires, hopes, fears, passions, emotions, and actions. The old adage “you are what you eat” reminds us what we put in our bodies affects our bodies. But it’s also true “you are what you think” because what we put in our minds affects our mind, heart, and behavior.
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A Few Books on Rest
As I’m preparing a sermon on rest from Matthew 11:28-30, one helpful tool in knowing how to rest and then for entering into rest are good books. Below are a few helpful books on the need for rest, how to rest, and then a couple that provide rest for the soul through their focus on on resting in our good shepherd’s care.
For an article, here’s one I posted with Gospel-Centered Discipleship called, “Why Resting is More Important that Relaxing.“
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Considering Christ this Christmas
Below are a few of the Christmas posts I’ve written. I hope they can help you set your mind on Jesus during this Advent season.
Darkness. Then Light.
The first words of Holy Scripture describe the story’s opening drama of creation, creation by God speaking forth light into the dark abyss. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…and darkness was over the face of the deep…And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light’” (Gen 1:1, 3). Bruce Waltke recognizes the Bible’s theme here and expresses it as “God irrupting into chaos to establish his rule over everything.” The creation account emphasizes the God who speaks light into darkness and breaks the silence with the power of his voice.
Dwelling on The Good News in A Year of Bad News: An August Reading Plan
2020 has given us plenty of challenges: the pandemic, quarantine and isolation, church closures and re-openings, racial tensions, riots, debates over masks and pretty much everything else tied to COVID-19, politics in an election year, and questions about government intrusion on the Church. Mix in that trying to figure out what families should do for school, and how that affects our jobs and income, as well as churches scrambling to do their best to gather together and care for those struggling with all that’s going on, and there’s plenty to leave us discouraged.
One temptation is to immerse ourself in the news–on TV, online, or through social-media–to stay up to speed and feel informed. The intense debates only fuel this as so many people read articles to defend their cause. It’s no wonder people feel stressed, anxious, and angry. To make matters worse, some statistics indicate Christians are spending even less time in the Bible than they did before the pandemic. We’re filling our minds with bad news and stressful news, meanwhile we’re neglecting to fill our minds and hearts with The Good News.
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New Book Available on Amazon
You can now purchase a copy of my new book Finding Satisfaction in Christ: A Devotional Study of Colossians in paperback or kindle formats. I wrote this over the course of a few years. What began as a small group study on Colossians in the home of our friends Dan and Emily later turned into a Group Discussion Guide for College Park Church that blossomed into a full-length book slowly written off-and-on over the course of a few years. As any writer or teacher struggles with, I hope my personal joy and benefit of studying Colossians leads to your joy and encouragement as you read through Colossians with me. Here’s a bit about the book.
Let Us Statements and Resurrection-Ascension Statements in Hebrews
Let Us…
Hebrews encourages and exhorts us with a number of “let us” statements. These provide a helpful snapshot of what the book calls us to do as we hold fast to Jesus. I left gaps between the numbers to show which verses are connected.
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Hebrews Reading Plan: Day 13 (Heb. 7:11-28)
Hebrews 7:11-28, especially verses 23-28, reminds us why Jesus alone is the perfect high priest, able to sympathize with us as a human and yet able to save for us as a sinless sacrifice. The language emphasizes the permanency of Christ’s priesthood and the firmness of our salvation. It’s meant to remind us that there will never be a time when Jesus is not interceding for his people. He never takes a sick day or a vacation. He continually lives at the right hand of the Father. It’s a reminder that we are never alone. We are never without an advocate. We always have full and complete access to the Father through Jesus our mediator.
Continue reading Hebrews Reading Plan: Day 13 (Heb. 7:11-28)
Hebrews Reading Plan: Day 9 (Heb. 5:1-10)
As we walk through Hebrews in our reading plan, below are a few additional thoughts, questions, commentary, and quotes. These aren’t designed to substitute your personal study and reflectionon God’s Word, but they’re small supplements to your study. It’s always helpful to begin your study by reading the passage and making some basic observations. See the post “Making Observations” for basic questions to help you understand and apply what you’re reading.
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