The Authentic Disciple: Marks Of A Disciple – Ezra 7:10

Intro:

A few years ago my wife and I went to New York City on a vacation with a couple of friends of ours. The ladies bucket list consisted of an afternoon in Chinatown to shop. After a somewhat frightening shopping excursion in a Dodge Tradesman Santana van, my wife and her friend had some new loot. Their shopping bag – a 13 gallon trash bag.  At this point I notice that every woman in Chinatown is carrying a 13 gallon trash bag full of loot. They were clearly marked. It was unmistakable.

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Journey Through John – Chapter 11

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is 1 Peter 5:7. It reads, “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” I like it because it tells us that God is concerned about us. Our problems, no matter how large or how small do not go unnoticed by God’s sovereign hand. It gives me comfort. It gives me hope.

All of us have different problems. Some things that really bother one person may not be a concern for another. Some people seem to sail through life trial-free, while others seem to always draw the short straw. Difficulties come in a rainbow of colors with great variance in severity.

However, there is one problem that we all face. It is our biggest problem. Death. 1 Cor. 15:26 describes death as our enemy – An enemy defeated by Christ.

“The victorious Christ is the greatest disruption, the striking off of shackles from a fettered world. He liberates us from the cruel facts of our existence in this present world. He is the end of death itself.” – Joshua John Mackin. www.firstthings.com. “Death, Our Enemy”. 

John 11 gives us a picture of Jesus’ power over the enemy of death.

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The Authentic Disciple: Counting the Costs -Luke 14:25-35

A few years ago my wife and I went on a cruise with some friends and one of our stops was in Cozumel, Mexico, where my wife and her pal had planned to stock up on new diamonds for their wedding rings. In one of the shops we visited, my wife’s friend found a beautiful, large diamond, it came with a price tag of about $5,000! The salesman immediately discounted the ring for his new customer, to the tune of, let’s say, $1000. Our friend immediately became excited, but I looked at her husband and said, “That thing is a pile of junk.” Why? Things that are valuable cost something, because they’re worth something.

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Journey Through John – John 10

I write the following statement knowing that it is overly general and could and should be said about the entirety of scripture…but…

John 10 provides rich theological and devotional thought concerning the nature and mission of Jesus Christ. These verses provide deep water for us as we swim in the implications and the personal application of these verses.

John 10 contains some of the most well known self-references of Jesus. The door of the sheep. The good shepherd. I and the Father are one.

Let’s dive in.

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