How the Lord’s Supper continues to speak in our time
Tag: unity
A plea for unity.
September 18, 2016. Ramifications of the reformation. It is an understatement to say that there is a lot of division in the church today. Though it seems that people have been divisive from the beginning (see I Corinthians 1-3), today the amount of separation in the entirety of Christendom is both disheartening and damaging to…
Choose your paradigm: Membership or Missional. (Part 2)
February 22, 2015. Last week we began a series that addressed two different paradigms that churches can have, through which they look at the world and the lost. Of these two paradigms, only one is put forth by Jesus. It seems that in our culture today, however, the opposite one is most often the default…
Psalm 132-134: The last of the songs of ascents.
December 9, 2015. Daily Reading: Psalm 132-134. Background: Psalm 129-131. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 132 The Lord’s choice through David: Another psalm in the series of the songs of ascents (see psalm 120), this psalm speaks of the house of the Lord that David sought to build (see II Samuel 7 and I Chronicles 22, 28)…
John 16-18: Jesus’ final days.
October 10, 2015. Daily Reading: John 16-18. Background: John 13-15. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 16 A final discourse with the disciples: As we near the passion narrative as presented by John, he gives us one of the final discussions that Jesus has with His disciples before He is taken to trial and the cross, followed…
Titus 1-3: Healthy doctrine.
September 20, 2015. Daily Reading: Titus 1-3. Background: Paul’s epistle to Titus is included in the three pastoral letters, letters that Paul wrote to leaders of churches, and is believed to be written around 64 AD. Though we don’t know much about how Paul first met Titus, we do know that he went with Paul…
I Chronicles 10-14: The rise of David.
September 15, 2015. Daily Reading: I Chronicles 10-14. Background: I Chronicles 5-9. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 10 The death of Saul and his sons: The narrative of the Chronicles begins in this chapter with the death of Saul and his sons at the hand of the Philistines, to set up the story of David and…
Ephesians 4-6: Unity and roles.
June 7, 2015. Daily Reading: Ephesians 4-6. Background: Ephesians 1-3. Chapter 4 1. Unity of the body of Christ: The first section of this chapter might be considered the penultimate point of the discussion on unity, as Paul draws it all together here to make an explicit statement about unity. Before he gets to that…
Ephesians 1-3: Jews and Gentiles.
May 31, 2015. Daily Reading: Ephesians 1-3. Background: The book of Ephesians is a letter written by Paul to a church that was probably founded by his first journey there recorded in Acts 18, where he has a short visit; the work seems to be carried on by Priscilla and Aquila. At the time of his letter,…
I Corinthians 12-13: A better way.
March 29, 2015. Daily Reading: I Corinthians 12-13. Background: I Corinthians 11. Concepts and Connections. Chapter 12 1. Spiritual gifts: The Corinthian church was a church that was literally full of the Holy Spirit. Many of the members in Corinth had been given the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and were workers of supernatural miracles such…
I Corinthians 11: Special instructions.
March 22, 2015. Daily Reading: I Corinthians 11. Background: I Corinthians 9-10. Concepts and Connections: Chapter 11 1. Head coverings: The opening of this chapter has been in many rings of debate and discussion over the years as to the meaning and context, and what the church should do with this passage. To begin, we should…
I Corinthians 1-3: A call for unity.
February 22, 2014. Daily Reading: I Corinthians 1-3. Background: The church in Corinth was founded on Paul’s second missionary journey, as he traveled to the city of Corinth and stayed with them for a year and six months (see Acts 18:1-16). Paul had a deep connection and love for the church in Corinth, as we…
Twenty Eight Eighteen 