Tag: Jesus
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One Faithful Step: Filling the Jars with Water
One Faithful Step: Filling the Jars with Water An application from John 2:1–25 There is a quiet detail in the opening chapters of the Gospel of John that has stayed with me. At the wedding in Cana, nothing dramatic is asked of the servants. Jesus does not tell them to pray harder, believe louder, or…
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God is Near
As Jesus’ birth approached, Bethlehem was bustling due to the Roman census, with families arriving, including a pregnant Mary and Joseph. Accommodations were scarce, and shepherds tended their flocks nearby. Amid this chaos, God’s promise was unfolding, as the Messiah was near, though not yet revealed.
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Showing Up When the Work Is Quiet
There is a particular kind of weight that comes with leadership in a small rural community. It is not loud or dramatic. It does not announce itself. It settles in quietly and stays. You carry it when you unlock buildings early in the morning, when you answer questions no one else has time to answer,…
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The Most Important Question of Life
Every human life, whether quietly or loudly, is shaped by a single, foundational question. Most people never stop long enough to name it, yet it governs their priorities, their decisions, and their understanding of meaning. The question is not, “What do I want out of life?”It is not, “How can I be successful?”It is not…
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Line of evidence for the reliability and accuracy of the Protestant canon
1. The New Testament canon is earlier than Constantine A common modern claim is that “Constantine or Nicaea created the Bible.” Historically, the Council of Nicaea (325) dealt with Christology (Arian controversy), not a canon list, and there is no historical record of Nicaea deciding the New Testament contents. Phoenix Seminary+2The Gospel Coalition+2 What we…
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The Ethiopian Bible
Source, Authorship, and Reliability 1. What People Mean by “The Ethiopian Bible” When people refer to “the Ethiopian Bible,” they are usually referring to the canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which is the largest biblical canon in Christianity. It includes: The standard Old Testament and New Testament books Additional writings not included in…
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THE SHEPHERDS’ CANDLE: JOY
Zephaniah 3:14–20 • Isaiah 12:2–6 • Philippians 4:4–7 • Luke 3:7–18 Introduction Today we light the third candle of Advent—the Shepherds’ Candle—the candle of Joy. Its color is different for a reason. Joy is not merely another virtue in the Advent lineup; it is the evidence that the world is already being changed by God’s…
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The Surprising Doorway to Joy
Advent joy is not a sentimental feeling, and Scripture refuses to flatten it into something shallow. The lectionary readings for the third Sunday of Advent—Zephaniah 3, Isaiah 12, Philippians 4, and Luke 3—do not describe easy times. They speak to people under pressure, people who are unsettled, people who need God to step into the…
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Why Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit Is Called the Unforgivable and Eternal Sin
Some passages in Scripture whisper comfort; others stop us in our tracks. Few verses unsettle believers more than Jesus’ words in Matthew 12 and Mark 3—His solemn warning that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit “will not be forgiven,” neither in this age nor the one to come. Many read it and feel a chill. Why…
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Standing Between Darkness and Light: Reflections at Sixty-Seven
There are moments in life when movies, memories, and years of lived experience weave themselves into a single thread. Looking back from sixty-seven, I can see how the stories that once entertained me now speak with deeper meaning. They shine a quiet light on what I have carried, what I have learned, and who I…
