When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.Matthew 2:10-11 Years (and years!) ago my grandfather would always say right after …
Tag: Gospel of Matthew
Living in a Tiring World
Is it just me or is life more tiring than it used to be? Please, no comments about middle-age. Besides, I’m not, strictly speaking, talking about physical tiredness. No, I mean emotional and mental tiredness. I mean the way in which so many around us are dealing with anxiety and depression, and at younger and …
Sin, Church Conflict, and the Need for Confession in Public Worship
Over the last five years or so, I have had at least half a dozen pastor friends who have had to leave or resign from their churches on account of various kinds of congregational dysfunction or confict. Even though it's true that I don't know many of the details about these individual stories, it almost …
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Have I Been Disfiguring My Face?
Whenever you fast, don’t be gloomy like the hypocrites. For they disfigure their faces so that their fasting is obvious to people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting isn’t obvious to others but to your Father who is in …
Learning to Pray from Scripture Part 2: Prayer Priorities from Paul
In my last post on learning to pray from Scripture, which you can find here, I talked about how the Bible reveals the truth about the God to whom we pray and why who God is matters to our prayers. This time around I want us to consider what Scripture teaches us about prayer priorities. …
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grace notes 