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Showing posts from January, 2016

Don't believe the title page...

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"Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself ." —Luke 24:27 (italics  and bold mine) Jesus thinks the Old Testament is about Him. Do you? "For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding 'Yes!'” —2 Corinthians 1:20 The Apostle Paul thinks all the Old Testament promises are fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Do you? How might Jesus and Paul (and the other New Testament writers) help you to see the Old Testament in a new, fresh way? Let's face it: Twenty-first century Western Christians don't seem to naturally gravitate toward the Old Testament. Yet, the New Testament writers themselves deeply loved and deeply valued the Old Testament. The Apostle Paul writes, "All Scripture is inspired by God [literally, God-breathed] and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.

A Bible verse no one ever celebrates

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I feel sorry for this verse. No one memorizes it. No one puts it into a book of precious Bible promises. No one paints a mural of this verse for the youth room at church. No one takes a verse like this and puts it on one of those fancy sunset backgrounds for all to see. Until now. And as for the truth of this verse, consider how Jesus has the crazy habit of taking someone who is just drifting along in the flow and pattern of this world —then transforms him/her through His Gospel —and then sends him/her back into the world to live in an exact opposite way they used to live . "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think." —Romans 12:1-12 You, Me, and Coffe

Falling Plates: My Story, Your Story and God's Story

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(If video doesn't appear above, go here .) The story of humanity is brokenness. The story of God is restoration. For more about how God's true story intersects with YOU and your life,  go here . Track with me on social media! Instagram            Facebook             Twitter       Let me encourage you most Mondays !

Yes, God is love, but He's also...

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If we only emphasize the attributes of God that we understand and enjoy—like His love, ironically, we end up creating a god the Bible doesn't substantiate. According to the Bible, God is love, but He's also frighteningly holy. He's both at the same time—and way more. As much as that truth is NOT cool, trendy, or politically correct, it's consistently how God portrays Himself throughout the entire Bible. Yes, God is love. But God isn't  only  love—as we mortals understand love. Unsettling... ain't it? But this is precisely my point. He's God. We're not. Therefore, we'd better learn to live in the tension of who He says He is... or end up in serious theological error... with eternal ramifications. Virtually every heresy begins with a misconception of the nature of God. "Watch your life and doctrine closely." —Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16 Get  Cup O' Joe with Bill  in your Email Inbox! Let me encourage you and

The Purest Form of Worship...

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Our understanding of "worship" should never be limited to 30 minutes of singing before a sermon. Yes, sing your heart out to the Lord at church. But there is more to worship. Way more. When it comes to worshipping Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, you don't merely sing with your lips. You sing God's truest song with your life— all of your life . The purest form of worship is obedience. Psalm 101 A psalm of David. 1  I will sing of your love and justice,  Lord .      I will praise you with songs. 2  I will be careful to live a blameless life —      when will you come to help me? I will lead a life of integrity      in my own home. 3  I will refuse to look at      anything vile and vulgar. I hate all who deal crookedly;      I will have nothing to do with them. 4  I will reject perverse ideas      and stay away from every evil. 5  I will not tolerate people who slander their neighbors.      I will not endure conceit an