Learning to love others the way Jesus loves us
Perfect propitiation “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and… Continue reading 1 John 2:3-6
"My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world" (ESV). In… Continue reading 1 John 2:1-2
Walk in the light But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess… Continue reading 1 John 1:7-10
a summer study through the letters of John This summer I want to dive into the letters of John for Tuesday devotionals. It's mostly for me, but I welcome your company on the journey! "The life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life,… Continue reading 1 John 1:1-3
Part One: Why grace over world views matter The things we think and do while we live on earth reflect our belief systems and world views. If we engage in worldly disputes within the Church, how can we be united as Jesus' followers reaching out to a lost world? What are the points of view… Continue reading Defaulting to grace in the Church over world views
Part three of three In this final revisit to Habakkuk, the thing that stood out to me is the importance of in -person church attendance for knowing God in community. It's something I didn't consider before lockdowns and I wonder whether the slow return to physical fellowship plays a role in the Western world's current… Continue reading Choosing Joy
Habakkuk 1:12-2:20 But the Lord is in his holy temple; let the whole earth be silent in his presence. Habakkuk 2:20 The world has changed significantly since I first wrote through Habakkuk in 2020. You know what hasn't changed? The Lord God, Holy One (קָדוֹשׁ אֱלֹהִים יְהֹוָה), YaHWeH Elohim Kadosh (Habakkuk 1:12) never changes. In… Continue reading Revisiting Habakkuk, Part Two
I wrote a four-day reflection on the book of Habakkuk in January of 2020. I had just begun my second semester at UNLV. There were whispers of a strange new virus coming out of China, but no hint at how that news might unfold. Reports of anger, division, injustice, and violence dominated the nightly news.… Continue reading Revisiting Habakkuk
How do we determine the value of a life? I opened my Substack inbox on April 1 and was struck by the very pretty face of a young woman leaning contentedly on a man's chest. The story headline read, "I'm 28. And I'm Scheduled to Die in May." It wasn't a joke. As I read… Continue reading Dignity, not Death
Confrontations and conversations during Jesus' last days Mark 11-12 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows' houses and for a… Continue reading Not just another Tuesday
Defaulting to Grace 