'Life in Christ' Tagged Posts
Daily Devotions
‘Food will not bring us close to God.’ We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” vss. 8-9 1 Corinthians 8:1-6 Anything can become a divisive issue in a congregation! Among other things the Corinthians were struggling with whether or not it was appropriate to eat food that had been offered to idols.…
Daily Devotions
I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” vs. 15 Romans 7:15-20 There’s probably not a person on the planet who could not identify with what Paul says here, particularly if they’ve ever had a golfing experience! In that particular sport, athletes approach each shot with definite expectations, and again and again they are horribly disappointed. No matter how much they might want to make…
Daily Devotions
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” vs. 12 1 Peter 4:12-14 From the beginning, people have tended to believe that if they began to walk in the Way of Jesus, life would be immeasurably better for them. That’s not a surprising assumption, because often that’s what they’ve been told. But Peter was not that kind of teacher. Instead of promising…
Daily Devotions
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” vs. 6 Psalm 23:4-6 Many in Israel claimed to belong to the house of David–it was the most prestigious lineage that anyone could hope to have. But this psalmist believed that he was of the house of the Lord, and he would be a resident in that house for as long as he…
Daily Devotions
Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” vs. 4 Romans 6:3-11 For Paul, the death of Jesus was intensely personal. It’s not so much that he felt his sins had been forgiven on the cross, but he earnestly believed that in his baptism, his old self had been buried with Christ.…
Daily Devotions
Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.” vss. 11-12 1 John 4:7-13 Religious folks love to complicate matters of faith. We develop intricate rituals and profound doctrines designed to standardize worship practices and unveil the mystery of the Trinity. Not only do our efforts fail to draw us close to God,…
Daily Devotions
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” vs. 10 Psalm 51:6-12 Some of us have sung this psalm in worship for as long as we can remember…and that’s a good thing! These ancient words pretty much articulate the rhythm of life in Christ for all of God’s people. Like our hands our hearts need daily cleansing to keep them free of disease and guilt buildup. One of the positive byproducts…
Daily Devotions
For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” vs. 10 Ephesians 2:4-10 We can spend a lot of pointless time wondering about stuff as we live and work in this world. Some think there is great gain in debating the fine points of theology and learning how to articulate our creeds in ever more complex ways. A few are so skillful in such…
Daily Devotions
Philippians 2:1-4 … “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” vss. 3-4 As Paul bares his soul to his friends in the Philippian community, we see clearly what he desires for them in their life together. Living in Christ will be different from life in the world. No longer will they be dominated by desires…