Study Week 167: Jonah 3, "Who would expect?
Week of October 2, 2011
The Assyrians were a ruthless lot back in the times of Jonah. One commentator notes, "The Assyrians were brutally cruel, their kings often being depicted as gloating over the gruesome punishments inflicted on conquered peoples. They conducted their wars with shocking ferocity, uprooted whole populations as state policy and deported
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Study Week 164: 1 Peter 1:13-21, "More Precious Than Gold"
Week of of September 4, 2011
Peter tells us we were redeemed from our old life to a future hope in a new life. He tells us this future life cost Christ his life. Jesus Christ was revealed in these last times for our sake. For our sake! vs. 20b. What does that mean? It means we
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Study Week 163: 1 Peter 1:1-9, "This May Hurt"
Week of August 28, 2011
In this epistle, Peter is writing to the believers in Christ scattered throughout Asia Minor. No doubt Roman oppression of Jerusalem in the 60's AD contributed to this diaspora. Peter, the elder statesman, writes to his global congregation. And what does he write about? He reminds them first of all, of
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Study Week 160: Luke 15:20-32, "Shocked By Grace"
Week of July 31, 2011
Real grace expressed in real ways in real life can be real shocking! And so it was for the older son in the parable of the father and two sons aka The Prodigal Son. Shocking, that is! I see the older son's anger toward his father as an expression of
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Study Week 159: Luke 15:11-24, "Homecoming!"
Week of July 24, 2011
Tim Keller in his book Prodigal God, says this parable is like looking through the clearest part of a lake, one where you can see down forever. For many, this parable captures the truth of the gospel. It's scope is too large to cover in one sermon. And so, we'll
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Study Week 158: Acts 13:13-41, "Is God Reality or a Concept for You?"
Week of July 17, 2011
The difference between God as REALITY and God as concept is the difference between night an day. Well, in fact, it's much more! It can make an eternal difference. Is God merely a concept for you, a convenienit notion that you keep in your back pocket and pull out when
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Study Week 157: Ephesians 5:15-21, "One Life To Live"
Week of July 10, 2011
I friend of mine recently died. Dave was homeless. He loved living under the stars. He was a "believer." Dave always had a lot of wisdom to share. I liked that about him. What he had to say was worth hearing. I will always remember one thing he'd emphasize -- it was on
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Study Week 155: Phil. 3:1-14, "Come Hungry"
Week of June 26, 2011
We are hard wired to eat food. Hunger tells us it's time to eat ... or else! We can only go so many days without food or water before we call it a day --- I mean, a life! If we wait too long before eating or drinking, well --- it's "adios,"
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Study Week 154: Boat Behavior, Acts 27:1ff
Week of June 19, 2011
In my nine years in the Navy and my two 11 month deployments onboard the USS John F. Kennedy, I didn't come anywhere close to Paul's experience as described in Acts 27. That was one harrowing "cruise!" He experienced heavy and perilous seas. It was from this experience that we catch a
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