“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
We live in a day when children are more and more considered a convenience. Parenthood is something pursued as a right, not a privilege. In other words, couples who embrace parenthood do so not from a sense of obedience to God’s command to be fruitful and multiply, but so they can say they are parents. It is becoming a status symbol more than a duty and calling.
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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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“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (CSB – Read the chapter)
If there was ever a case to be made for a particular verse of the Bible being the official verse of sports, I think this one would win the prize. It seems like every professional athlete who is willing to publicly claim the name of Jesus makes sure to put this verse on something he wears to play. And snapped up out of its context, it seems to serve the purpose of sports well. But is there any more to it?
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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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“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (CSB – Read the chapter)
Jesus said some uncomfortable things during His ministry. This particular saying is close to the top of the pile. Frankly, it’s even worse than what He says next about cutting off the hand or gouging out the eye that causes us to sin because those are obvious instances of hyperbole. This one isn’t. This one is just hard. There’s no wiggle room here. So…what do we do with it.
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The Nexus 