Category Archives: humility

joy from unity

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Philippians 1:27-2:11.  Paul encouraged the Philippian Christians to complete his joy by fulfilling his expectations: He expected them to unite together in their stand for the gospel, in spite of the suffering it would cause (1:27-30). He expected them to … Continue reading →

Posted in church, divisions, gospel, humility, suffering, the cross, unity | Tagged , | 2 Comments

boasting in the cross

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Galatians 6.  Paul was motivated by what Christ did for the Galatians on the cross. He said “far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified … Continue reading →

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one source of pride

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Isaiah 3:1-4:6.  In Isaiah’s day, the city of Jerusalem prided itself over its leaders: “the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the … Continue reading →

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getting Egypt’s attention

Posted on March 4, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Exodus 7:14-8:19.  The plagues in Egypt were directed toward Pharaoh, who stubbornly refused to release the people of Israel from their bondage. There was a matter of Egyptian religious pride here too.  The Hebrews were merely slaves, why should Pharaoh … Continue reading →

Posted in discernment, humility, judgment, prayer, relationship with God, wisdom | Tagged , | 1 Comment

God left him to himself

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

2 Chronicles 32.  The chronicler has a unique perspective on why Hezekiah made the mistake of showing the Babylonian envoys his treasures. He says that “God left him to himself in order to test him and to know all that … Continue reading →

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too big for his breeches

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

2 Chronicles 26.  Uzziah was a great man and a good king, because “he was marvelously helped, till he was strong” (15).  Then he got too big for his breeches. He usurped the right of the temple priests, and went … Continue reading →

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obedient to the faith

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Acts 4:32-6:7.  The church of Jesus Christ is not simply a social movement. The kingdom of God has a king in heaven, and he has given us a body of instruction recorded in the Gospels. Believers are obligated to obey … Continue reading →

Posted in commitment, faithfulness, humility, kingdom of God, obedience, submission | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

if my people…

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

2 Chronicles 7.  Before we jump to claim 2 Chronicles 7:14 as our life verse– we should look again at the context of the verse.  Solomon has just prayed to dedicate the temple.  The LORD appeared to him at night, … Continue reading →

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