Grace in Lo-Debar
“David asked, ‘Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?’” (2 Samuel 9:1) That word “kindness” is one of those important Hebrew words, hesed – sometimes translated as loving kindness. We might think of the synonym grace. After the deaths of Saul and Jonathan, […]
Remember Mercy
“Lord, I have heard the report about you; Lord, I stand in awe of your deeds. Revive your work in these years; make it known in these years. In your wrath remember mercy!” (Habakkuk 3:2) When God revealed His plans to Habakkuk, the prophet falls to his knees in the fear and awe of the […]
Our Substitute
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of his great love that he had for us, made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in trespasses. You are saved by grace!” (Ephesians 2:4–5) I read a story recently of an ancient nomadic tribe in the great expanse of Siberia. The tribe had […]
What is “Doing Justice?”
“He has told you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, NASB95) There are a lot of competing theories in our world about how to “do justice.” The debate is part of the […]
Spiritual Snowflakes
“The Lord asked, “Is it right for you to be angry?” (Jonah 4:4) Ever get mad at God? There are several issues going on in Jonah’s life at this moment (we’ll discuss them Sunday), but one of the issues is entitlement: the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment. Jonah had […]
The Gospel According to Mephibosheth
Paul Harvey once told the story of “The Man and the Birds (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddai8rkXWRs ).” It’s about a man who wanted to help a flock of birds, caught in a snowstorm, get into the safety of his warm barn. He tried to shoo them…he tried to catch them…he tried to lead them with a trail of […]
When Others Fail You (2 Tim. 4:16-17)
A major source of such forgiveness and grace is your deep realization of how much and how often you’ve been the recipient of God’s forgiveness and grace: “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you” (Eph. 4:32).
A Special Reward for Service (2 Tim. 1:16-18)
Most of God’s blessings come even though we don’t deserve them. “There are, however, times when His blessing of us is because of something we’ve done. When we see those “becauses” in Scripture, we want (or should want) to do more of that. Here’s a “because” that’s mentioned often…”
No Smiting Allowed (1 Tim. 5:1-2)
What do you do if a fellow Christian sins in a way that hurts you or others? The old word “smite” might come to mind, but it’s not allowed. There’s a much better way both to change them and to honor Christ…
No, not Him!
“…But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20, NIV) We all know that famous line from Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son. The father receives the son back, […]
