The Power of Grasping your Union with Christ (Col 1 & 2, Eph 2 & 3)
The story of the man of God, Hudson Taylor is that although he was living an extraordinary life of service, he had a deep feeling of his own sin and failure.
When the Spirit opened his eyes to the Scriptures about being united with Jesus, in an instant he received a joy which lasted the rest of his life.
Stories of Trusting God for what is not yet Visible — Hebrews 11 (pt.14)
After huge claims for the value of faith/trust for our lives, and the pleasure it gives our Father, Hebrews goes on to show this with a set of stories.
But they contain a surprising twist—which makes them far more relevant to us today!
Washed Clean, Forever, by a Single Offering — Hebrews pt.12 (10:1–23)
Since we have authorization for free access to enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus, by the fresh and living way that he opened up for us, through the curtain—that is through his flesh,
let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings,
because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from a burdened conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.
And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy.
The Beautiful, Balanced and Brilliant Structure to the Book of Hebrews — Heb pt.10
Who wrote Hebrews? Why and to whom?
The book is very carefully structured, and understanding this is an excellent doorway into seeing the main focus of the book, and how the author supports such a powerful central claim.
Exploring the Deep Encouragement in one of the Richest Psalms: Psalm 103
This psalm is beautifully constructed, and designed to stir our hearts to praise God by painting a picture of how he cares for us so deeply. What encouragement!
The truth behind baptism is deeply empowering and encouraging, and can explain some of the tensions we experience as we try to live the Christian life.
We ask why the Bible does not condemn slavery directly, explore the rich content of Ephesians 6:5–9 and the shocking challenge to all of us in the workplace, and talk about how this works out in practice today.
Seeing how this letter is structured, on the one hand provides a helpful framework for fully understanding the message, and on the other is a work of art which frames the beauty of the truth, like a diamond setting holds a diamond.
Seven parts of Ephesians open with the expression: ‘Walk...’ We look at the fifth, ‘Walk in love’ which is immediately followed by the two biggest threats to a loving community. Thankfully there is a way they can be overcome.
How do I live this new life? Not only does Paul explain the power, but he also lays out some very clear examples of this power in action in our daily activities.
Three Parables that Challenge our Beliefs about Prayer
In Luke 11 & 18, Jesus gives us several strong motivations to pray, including an example, a parable and some very clear teaching that challenges our core beliefs about prayer.
Problems with Prophecies Against Other Nations, and some Good Answers (Prophets pt.3)
On the surface these prophecies against other nations can seem like unrelenting destruction, but on closer inspection there is a surprising revelation of the true heart of God in love and mercy, which culminated in the sending of his own son to die for the sins of his enemies.
A Living Sacrifice — Gaining a clear understanding of one of the key texts in Romans
In two beautifully compact verses, Paul gives us a new “rule of life” for living under the New Covenant and lays a foundation to everything that follows about the gifts of the Spirit. —a perfect summary of what it means to be part of the new people of God.
Why the Story of Naaman is so Disruptive and Challenging
As we dive deeper into this account, we see more and more of the challenges, conceptual reversals and artistry in the narrative composition, with an exciting conclusion.
A New Beginning - Directions for this New Season of our Lives from Joshua 4 & 5
This story of a new beginning for Israel has a compelling message for our own lives as we move forward into a new season, with precise New Covenant parallels to the Old Covenant symbols.
Circumcision: Meaning, Significance and Practical Insights
When we see how neatly the Old and New Testaments connect together on this issue, it brings such clarity, not only to understanding the Bible, but also our own identity.
Trusting God in Hard Times - Reading the O.T. in a way that lets it speak truly into our lives: Is. 55
Have you had times of darkness in your life?
We work through how we should read Old Testament passages so that they speak accurately into our situation./n-God says, “just hold on to me and I will never forsake you”
Can God be Trusted in the Darkest Situation? (Isaiah 37)
Have you ever been in a situation when it looks like something really bad could happen? We take an example of how to relate Old Testament stories to our own lives in a way that is faithful to the context, and also immensely encouraging!
Holy — Answering Problems with Correctly Understanding this Word (pt.2)
Having presented a new understanding of this incredibly important word, we clear up some problems with other Old Testament passages and dig deeper into the meaning.
When we see how God’s promises and prophecies to Israel fit with the New Testament and beyond, like Paul we will not be able to help bursting out in praises to God.
If we can grasp the big picture of God’s plan for humanity, it will not only help us understand the Bible, but hugely empower and energize us for the Christian life.
Light is a key theme in Scripture, and as we put together references from the whole Bible, we see a beautifully unified theme what brings hope, and direction for living.
Why John is so selective when telling the story of the Crucifixion
John is very selective, but this is because he is very focused in the unique way he wants us to relate to Jesus as he suffers and dies on the cross, a way that we miss if we don’t follow his references
The deeper, fuller meaning of the parable of the Good Shepherd
It is easy to read through John 10 on a surface level and miss what is going on.
Here, at the final climax of Jesus’ public ministry he presents an image that will leave you enthralled with it’s beauty, and deeply moved by it’s implications.
What on earth does it mean to ‘feed on Jesus’? and why this is one of the most important things you can ever learn
After feeding the 5000 and walking on water, Jesus was asked to provide more food. The answer he gave was very strange, and resulted in many people walking away from him.
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