Category: The Bible

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The Surprise of Christmas

This Christmas at our house, there was a lot of smiling and a lot of thankfulness—but not a lot of surprise. Every time someone opened a gift and tried to act shocked, somebody else would say, “It was on your Amazon list.”

And as soon as that was said, the surprise was gone.

We live in a world where almost nothing catches us off guard anymore. We track packages. We make lists. We already know what’s coming.

But the first Christmas?

Nobody had a list.

Nobody expected it to happen this way.

And Luke reminds us that Christmas isn’t about God meeting expectations—it’s about God doing something far better than we imagined.

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Holy Living: 1 John 2:16 Counterfeit Coconuts

In some parts of the world, people catch monkeys with a simple trap: they place a treat inside a narrow-necked jar. The monkey reaches in, grabs the food—but with its clenched fist, it can’t pull its hand out. Freedom would be as simple as letting go, but the monkey refuses, and stays stuck.

This morning we’re going to look at 3 coconuts, if you will, that keep us trapped.

The world grabs our attention with what looks like treasure. But it traps us when we refuse to let go. The flesh says “I need it,” the eyes say “I want it,” and pride says “I deserve it.”

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Journey Through Jude: 8-25

8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.

  • This verse, and the following serve largely as a commentary on verse 6
  • “relying on their dreams” – These people were appealing to their dreams as a basis for their morality and decision making.
  • APP: As believers, that is precisely what we are not to do. God’s Word serves as our moral compass, not our personal thoughts because we can justify almost anything we want.
  • “defile the flesh” – Their false teaching has fleshed itself out in sexual immorality.
  • “reject authority” – Just as is mentioned in verse 6, See also: Genesis 3 (Adam and Eve), Genesis 6 (angels)
  • “blaspheme the glorious ones” – Who are these “glorious ones”?Some say this refers to human dignataries…this seems unlikely due to the context of Jude. Perhaps this is a reference to Sodom and Gomorrah and the angels desire to take the angels for themselves. This is most likely a reference to supernatural beings/angels.

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Journey Through Jude: 1-7

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

  • verses 1 and 2 serve as a standard introduction for epistles during this day.
  • “Jude” – 1/2 Brother of Jesus; Brother of James; see: Matt. 13.55; Mark 6.3. Jude avoided saying that he was the Lord’s brother:1) because of his humility 2) because Jesus’ elevated position
  • “servant” – doulos; pertaining to a state of being completely controlled by someone or something—‘subservient to, controlled by.’
  • “James” – A prominent leader in the early church in Jerusalem. Brother to Jesus. Jesus appeared to him after his resurrection according to 1 Cor. 15.7.
  • “called” – The term “called” does not merely mean that God invited believers to be his own. Those whom God calls are powerfully and inevitably brought to faith in Jesus Christ through the proclamation of the gospel. The call of God is extended only to some and is always successful, so that all those who are called become believers. Such an understanding of “called” is clearly attested in the Pauline writings (Rom 1:1, 6–7; 8:28, 30; 1 Cor 1:1–2, 9, 24; Gal 1:15; 1 Thess 2:12; 5:24; 2 Thess 2:14; 2 Tim 1:9; cf. 1 Pet 2:9; 5:10; 2 Pet 1:3; Rev 17:14).  For more clarity, see 1 Corinthians 1.22-25.

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Journey Through Malachi: 2:1-16 Ripples In Relationships

Ripples in Relationships

Malachi 2:1–16

We do not live our lives in a vacuum. Our spiritual condition inevitably affects the people around us—like a rock tossed into a still pond, our sin sends out ripples that disturb the relationships we care about most.

Malachi 2 drives this home. The spiritual shortsightedness from chapter 1 doesn’t just remain internal. It spills out into our families, our relationship with God, and even our marriages.

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Journey Through Malachi: 1:1-14 – Symptoms of the Spiritually Shortsighted

INTRODUCTION

My family and I just returned from vacation yesterday. We went out west, visiting a couple of cities in Arizona before heading to Las Vegas for a few days. We saw the Grand Canyon and made a stop at the Hoover Dam.

We started out in Phoenix and then made our way to what ended up being my favorite part of the trip: hiking in and around Sedona. It’s truly stunning—pictures don’t do it justice. It’s one of those places you have to experience for yourself.

We all began with a relatively easy hike—just a couple of miles to the base of Bell Rock. Flat, scenic, and enjoyable for everyone.

Later that afternoon, Allison and I left the little ones behind and set off on a more intense hike: a 6-mile round trip that started at the Boynton Canyon Trailhead. About two miles in, we veered off onto an unmarked path that led us to some Indian caves and a rock formation hikers have nicknamed “The Subway.” You can see some photos on Allison’s Facebook page. It started out easy, but the final half mile was grueling.

I love hiking—being outdoors, surrounded by creation. But there’s a real danger in hiking—not a physical one, but a mental and spiritual one. You can become so focused on the path, on watching your feet, that you forget to stop and take in the view. You miss the beauty of where you are. The grandeur around you. The majesty of the mountains.

The same thing can happen spiritually.

We can become so focused on our day-to-day struggles, our routines, our work, that we forget to look up and see the greatness of God. That’s the message of Malachi.

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Ground Zero: Facing the Fall and Finding Freedom (Session 4): Ephesians 4:17-32

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

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