Category: Digging in Deeper

Digging in Deeper: Genesis 39:21

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“But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”‬‬ (ESV – Read the chapter) 

The favor of the Lord is a wonderful thing. After all, He’s the creator of the world and everything in it. If He takes a special interest in your success, there’s no way you can possibly fail. The favor of the Lord is better than pulling the winning lottery numbers. Twice. But, what exactly does the favor of the Lord look like? We’d like to think it’s all butterflies and rainbows, but Joseph’s story rips that theory to pieces. 

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Digging in Deeper: John 8:31-32

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“Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you continue in my word, you really are my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter) 

When Jesus had been arrested and tried by the Jewish religious authorities, they handed Him over to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, because they wanted Him crucified and they didn’t have the authority to impose such a sentence. Pilate was an interesting guy, but one we’ll have to talk about another time. What’s of interest right now is that as Pilate questions Jesus to get a sense of who this man was that so enraged the members of the Sanhedrin, he asks a question that rings far more loudly today than it did then: What is truth? 

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Digging in Deeper: Matthew 5:23-24

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“So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter) 

Have you ever tried to worship with an angry heart? That’s no small task. In fact, I dare say it is an impossible one. Worshiping the Lord is something that should happen primarily between us and the Lord. Worshiping angry, like doing just about anything angry, is a recipe for not doing it very well. Jesus here offers us a solution. But hold on tight because it sounds pretty radical. 

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Digging in Deeper: 1 Corinthians 6:18

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“Flee sexual immorality! Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter) 

I have a pine tree next to my driveway which, if it falls, will land right on my house. It wouldn’t be a glancing blow either. As the tree guy I met with the other day told me, it would slam into the roof line, probably snap off there, the top part would roll down the rest of the roof and land in the front yard, and the main trunk would slice through the brick exterior right through our eight-year-old’s bedroom and into our garage, totaling our fairly recently paid-off minivan. In other words, it would be catastrophic. 

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Digging in Deeper: Daniel 6:4

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“The administrators and satraps, therefore, kept trying to find a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they could find no charge or corruption, for he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was found in him.” (CSB – Read the chapter) 

Everyone has a skeleton closet somewhere. That could be an anthem for our times, couldn’t it? We live in a day of mistrust and cynicism, especially toward our political leaders. We have seen elected official after elected official sacked by scandal. We have seen leaders who we all figured were scandal-ridden live down to our expectations. We have seen no-name figures gain a name for themselves because of some scandal. We have even seen folks who held character and integrity out as reasons to elect them fall to scandal, often on the very point of their character emphasis. My friends, this should not be. 

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