COV LIFE BLOG
Mark 6 – Who Is This Jesus?
In the conflict between supernaturalism and naturalism, between miracles and rationalism, few stories draw the “line in the sand” more clearly than Jesus walking on the water. For example, you can go online and consult “Christian Biblical Errancy Debate” whose web page states, “If you are tired of having Bible-quoting friends and relatives throw Scripture […]
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Prayer for the Men’s Retreat
Our Father in Heaven… We need to remember that our primary identity is that we are your beloved sons. Remind us this weekend that we are loved by You. Thank you for your grace that has made us your sons. Teach us to submit to your headship in new ways this weekend. You are the […]
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Lamentations 4 – God’s Goodness Through Suffering
We find, [in verse 22], a joyous fact. Read it with glistening eyes ye to whom it belongs—”The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion.” In the case of the kingdom of Judah, the people had suffered so much in their captivity that their God, who in his anger had put them […]
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Lamentations 3 – Hope in God in the Midst of Your Lament
As Jeremiah reflects upon the hope-giving and hope sustaining attributes of God, he first speaks about God to others: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” Then he speaks personally and directly to God: “great is your faithfulness.” Finally, in verse 24, […]
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Lamentations 2 – How to Cry Out out to God
First, from our text we gather—that it is never too soon to pray. “Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord.” You are lying on your bed; the gracious Spirit whispers—”Arise, and pray to God.” Well, there is no […]
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Lamentations 1 – Learning to Lament
On a frigid day in February, I lowered the tiny casket of my daughter into a newly dug grave. A few days earlier, my wife had given birth to our stillborn daughter, Sylvia, after carrying her for nearly nine months. Her due date was just a few days away. And then Sylvia’s heart stopped beating […]
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2 Corinthians 8:1-15 – Grace-Driven Generosity
A prayer from the Gospel Coalition for grace-driven generosity: Heavenly Father, we come before you today encouraged and challenged by this picture of radical grace. This one story alone underscores why we can never emphasize your grace too much. Grace is never to be counterbalanced with law, only multiplied with more grace. Indeed, through Jesus […]
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Advent 2019 – John 1:14 – Behold the Glory of Jesus
Our Christmas celebrations are like Israel’s exodus from Egypt. This great migration took on a beautiful splendor, as Israel was laden with the treasures of the Nile, just as our Advent season glitters in red and gold. But the true glory of the exodus was not the shimmering colors of Egyptian riches, nor even the […]
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Advent 2019 – Hebrews 2:14-18 – Why Jesus Came The Way He Did
This, I think, is my favorite Advent text because I don’t know any other that expresses so clearly the connection between the beginning and the end of Jesus’s earthly life — between the incarnation and crucifixion. These two verses make clear why Jesus came; namely, to die. They would be great to use with an […]
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Advent 2019 – Philippians 2:5-11 – The Wonder of the Incarnation
It’s a joy to reserve this part of the year to remember and celebrate the birth of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This, of course, is what Christmas is about in the truest sense. Amid all the tinsel, the gingerbread cookies, and the trees and stockings and gift shopping, true Christians pause to reorient […]
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