Brandon asks, Why is baptism used before Jesus? I thought baptism signified Jesus’ death and resurrection. Why would baptism be used by John if that’s what it is for? As the question suggests, the two baptisms are closely related but also have important differences. Think of them like an engagement ring and a wedding ring. The engagement ringContinue reading “John’s baptism and ours”
Tag Archives: faith
When A Little Water Gets In Your Boat
The familiar story of Jesus calming the storm is presented by Mark through a series of contrasts (4:35-41). 1) There is an initial contrast in the early actions of the story (Jesus is asleep while the disciples are afraid). 2) Then there is the contrast between their question (“Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”)Continue reading “When A Little Water Gets In Your Boat”
Grateful Hearts Make Us Whole
When Jesus was traveling along the border of Samaria and Galilee, He went into one of the villages. On His way in, He came across ten lepers. It wasn’t uncommon for such groups to station themselves outside of towns and villages so they could petition passersby for help. They were somehow aware of who JesusContinue reading “Grateful Hearts Make Us Whole”
The Rescue of Rahab (2)
Rahab as a child of God (a person of faith) In the second act of our movie, we would flashback to Rahab’s conversation with the two spies. This time we would include her talking about her faith in God when she says, “For the Lord Your God is God of heaven above and earth below”Continue reading “The Rescue of Rahab (2)”
The Reaching Hand of the Flawed Man
The psalms are different than the bulk of Scripture in that they are the record of people speaking to God rather than God speaking to people. Under the guidance and oversight of the Spirit, they have become part of the biblical witness. That doesn’t mean everything in them is in line with God’s will orContinue reading “The Reaching Hand of the Flawed Man”
Election and God’s Righteousness
Going from Romans 8 to Romans 9 is kind of like going from your favorite weather to your least favorite weather. It’s like going from your birthday to April 15 (unless April 15 is your birthday). It’s like going from a world of chocolate—to no chocolate, (Now I have your attention!). I think our mainContinue reading “Election and God’s Righteousness”
The Beauty of Baptism
Baptism is beautiful—not as something to be exalted in and of itself (it’s meaningless in that sense), but as it is used by God to unite us with Christ. 1. Baptism is where a dead person comes alive. (Colossians 2:12-13). . . . having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised withContinue reading “The Beauty of Baptism”
“What must I do to be saved?”
Most of us are familiar with the story of the three blind men who had an elephant brought to them. They were to tell everyone what the animal was like. One of the men was near the trunk of the elephant. He grabbed it and said, “An elephant is like a mighty snake—a great boaContinue reading ““What must I do to be saved?””
Samson: The Fighter Still Remains
Samson’s failure to live a God-directed life ended up bringing a lot of pain into his life. His failure to respect his Nazarite commitment in reference to Delilah left him blinded and in shackles grinding grain in a Philistine prison. He had fallen a long way from the angel’s glorious announcement about his birth. ButContinue reading “Samson: The Fighter Still Remains”
When Temptation Calls Your Name
In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar has gathered his advisers, officials, and administrators from all over the kingdom on the plain of Dura (v. 2). Per Daniel 1, this included people from “all of the nations and peoples of every language” (v. 7). The scope of attendees suggests that this gathering was no small thing. But there’sContinue reading “When Temptation Calls Your Name”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 