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Category Archives: suffering
disciples: fairness and the kingdom
Mark 10. The disciples learn a valuable lesson about the kingdom of God in this chapter: it’s not fair. It’s not fair that God intends marriage to last a lifetime. What if you find that you … Continue reading
Posted in destruction in hell, discipleship, grace, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, leadership, suffering
Tagged Mark 10
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disciples: no guts, no glory
Mark 8:27-9:50. The disciples learn something about Jesus in the events described in this section. They learn that Jesus is the Christ, and that he is going to come in glory, so people should listen to him above all others. … Continue reading
Posted in church, commitment, courage, discipleship, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, suffering, the cross
Tagged Mark 8, Mark 9
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disciples: preaching and hardened hearts
Mark 6. One of the facts of discipleship that we must be aware of is that our ministry will not always be accepted and appreciated. Many hearts are hardened to God’s truth. Even Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth … Continue reading
Posted in commitment, courage, discipleship, evangelism, faithfulness, ministry, missions, obedience, suffering, witness
Tagged Mark 6
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only Jesus: rewarder of God’s faithful
Hebrews 10:19-39. Jesus is Lord of our future. What he has done for us only makes sense in the light of what he will do. As we see the day of his coming drawing near, it only … Continue reading
Posted in church, commitment, confession, destruction in hell, faithfulness, Jesus Christ, judgment, kingdom of God, missions, perseverance, preparation, second coming, suffering, will of God, witness
Tagged Hebrews 10
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promises from heaven’s king
Matthew 5:1-16. Christ’s message and ministry brought light to a dark land. He now challenges his disciples to live up to that message by being salt and light so that others may see their good works. What is the payoff? … Continue reading
Posted in discipleship, future, grace, Jesus Christ, kingdom of God, relationship with God, suffering, witness
Tagged Matthew 5
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Christ, our hope
Colossians 1:21-2:5. Paul wanted the Colossians to understand that (providing their faith was real) what Christ has done for them had changed their status before God, and changed them from the inside out. He expected them to show maturity for … Continue reading
Posted in church, hope, Jesus Christ, suffering, truth
Tagged Colossians 1, Colossians 2
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joy from the Lord
Philippians 3:1-4:1. Our joy is in the Lord, and for that reason our confidence cannot be in our ancestry or our accomplishments. Because our joy is in the Lord, anything we might count in our favor is actually counted as … Continue reading
Posted in confidence, enemies, faith, grace, joy, resurrection, suffering
Tagged Philippians 3, Philippians 4
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joy from unity
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 Philippians 1, Philippians 2
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the stewardship of God’s grace
Ephesians 3. Preaching to the Gentile Ephesians the gospel of God’s grace was a great privilege for Paul. He gladly accepted the dishonor of being imprisoned and mistreated for that cause. He considered the work a gift of God’s grace … Continue reading
Posted in church, commitment, gospel, grace, Holy Spirit, ministry, perseverance, suffering
Tagged Ephesians 3
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times of threshing
Isaiah 21. The punishment that God’s people would face under the oppressor (in this case, Babylon) for their disobedience was like grain, which is crushed to separate it from its chaff, and then violently thrown to the wind for winnowing. … Continue reading
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