1 John is a brief but marvelously rich letter. But when you first get into it, there’s a good possibility it will overwhelm you with its repetition of a cluster of words. In its 105 verses, “know” is used 32 x’s, “love” is used 27 x’s, “sin” is used 20 x’s, “life” and “brother” areContinue reading “The Joy of Obedience”
Author Archives: A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green
The Spreading Flame
Is there anyone who doesn’t enjoy a a cozy, warm fire? Aside from the aesthetics of a fire (which to me are substantial), there are also few things that are physically more pleasing than the warm comfort it provides when we are cold. Our Father created our bodies in such a way that our core temperatureContinue reading “The Spreading Flame”
Living in the Light
John assures the disciples he is writing in 1:1-4 of his first letter that the message they had shared with them about Christ was rooted in historical reality. There were Gnostic influencers who were spreading the heresy that Christ had not come in the flesh (see this in 2 John v. 7). John wants themContinue reading “Living in the Light”
For the Bible Tells Me So
Back when peoplewrote letters, they did so for lots of reasons. They wanted to stay in contact with a loved one from whom they were separated (this was especially true in the days before there were phones and later when people had phones but long-distance calls were expensive). They also wrote to share news (thisContinue reading “For the Bible Tells Me So”
A Teenage Girl Sings Of God
It’s good to be thankful and give praise to God. It’s even better to live a life of gratitude that seeks to honor God. Gratitude and praise are a lifestyle, not an occasional moment or even a seasonal celebration. We treat them that way when we live with a sense of priority and urgency inContinue reading “A Teenage Girl Sings Of God”
Clutter, clutter everywhere . . .
If you dump a box of toys in front of a toddler, many of them will just give you a quizzical look. But if you give them just a toy or two they are able to focus on it, engage their imagination, and in no time they’re having a great time. That’s because sometimes less isContinue reading “Clutter, clutter everywhere . . .”
Getting Started in Proverbs
Our church went through the book of Proverbs this summer. I put together an acrostic as kind of a review, but I think it works equally well as an introduction to the book—if you don’t take it as any sort of final word but use it as a starting point for stepping into this wonderfulContinue reading “Getting Started in Proverbs”
Baptism And Wedding Vows
If you listen closely to the vows couples exchange during a wedding ceremony (whether they are traditional or ones they have written), they all have the same intent and purpose and say the same thing. They are promises that each will commit themselves to the attitudes and actions conducive to happy, healthy marriage. No oneContinue reading “Baptism And Wedding Vows”
The Disciple and Opportunity
A man had fallen into an old, dry well and was stuck at the bottom. He called out for help and finally someone came by. The person lowered a rope down to the man. The man grabbed the rope, looked at it, and asked, “What happens if this rope breaks?” Fortunately, the person on topContinue reading “The Disciple and Opportunity”
Hello August
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to BethlehemContinue reading “Hello August”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 