Category: Digging in Deeper

Digging in Deeper: Character Counts

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“And he said, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid.'” (CSB – Read the chapter)

A week ago, I was invited to share a devotional thought with our local high school football team. For something a little different today, here’s some of what I had to say.

Character Counts 

Hey guys! Thanks for letting me have a few minutes with you this afternoon. I know there’s food to be enjoyed and football to be played, so I want to quickly do three things. I want to ask you a question, I want to tell you a couple of stories, and I want to talk with you for just a second about what they might mean for us. 

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 11:25-29

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“I don’t want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not be conceited: A partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.’ Regarding the gospel, they are enemies for your advantage, but regarding election, they are loved because of the patriarchs, since God’s gracious gifts and calling are irrevocable.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

With Paul’s help, we have established that the designation “Israel” does not mean what it has traditionally been understood to mean. It was never intended to refer only to a genetic tribe of people. It was always intended to refer to those people who by faith lived in pursuit of a covenantal relationship with God. The confusion here comes from the fact that one of the major covenants God made was with a genetic tribe that was made up of the descendants of the men to whom God gave the name Israel. Yet not every member of that tribe abided by the covenant such that not all of Israel was God’s Israel. Still, though, God put that tribe through a lot in using them to reveal Himself to the world. Does He have any plans for those who rejected Him? Paul seems to think so. Let’s explore this next part of chapter 11 as we draw near the end of this section of the letter.

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Calling Out the Called

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This past Sunday we had the delight of baptizing new followers of Jesus and members, celebrating the Lord’s Supper, and setting aside some excellent servant leaders for the deacon ministry. Just before going through the official ordination process, I offered some observations on deacon ministry and servant leadership more generally to the congregation. Here’s what I had to say.

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Digging in Deeper: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

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“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Comic books have always been about more than the tales and exploits of super-powered heroes and villains. They have always served as vehicles for exploring and addressing deeper topics and themes. The X-Men comics, for example, have been about tolerance for those who are different. Superhero movies do the same thing. Wandavision (and Dr. Strange 2, which was just a continuation of the Wandavision story) was a study in grief. Captain America 4 was about seeking justice for the oppressed. Iron Man 3 was about dealing with anxiety. The Infinity Saga was about the infinite value of every single life. Marvel’s second-most-recent release follows this same pattern. It’s a story about heroes and villains, yes, but it’s about a whole lot more than that. I finally got to watch Thunderbolts* this week, let’s talk about why it’s so very good.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 11:23-24

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“And even they, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut off from your native wild olive tree and against nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these—the natural branches—be grafted into their own olive tree?” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Is there anyone too far gone for God to save them? That’s certainly a question believers have wrestled with over the centuries of church history. We wonder this objectively. We muse on it when thinking about public atheists and whether it is possible for them to finally come around. We agonize over it when the individuals in question are family members. What Paul says about Israel as a genetic people here speaks some to the question. Check this out with me.

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