Morning Musing: Psalm 8:1

Leave a comment

“Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth! You have covered the heavens with your majesty.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter) 

Last night my family and I got the chance to take in the truth of these words in a way it may be a very long time—or ever—before we get to again. We saw the majesty of the Lord through the splendor of creation. It was one of those moments where nature boasts loudly of the fingerprints of God, but which only those with the eyes to see will truly appreciate.  The pictures you see here were all taken by my good friend and excellent photographer, Heather Perry.

Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Matthew 13:18

Leave a comment

“So listen to the parable of the sower:” (CSB – Read the chapter) 

It’s always funny to me when God does this. I began the reading plan that included this verse the same morning that I began writing a sermon whose focus was this passage among others. You will have seen that message before you read this blog entry. That’s why I touched on the same passage multiple times within such a short time span. So then, if God has something to say through this text, what does it mean? 

Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: 1 John 4:20

Leave a comment

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.”‬‬ (CSB – Read the chapter) 

So, the first time we looked at this verse, we established the rather uncomfortable truth that we either love or hate the people around us. If we are not committed to intentionally moving them in the direction of Jesus, we hate them. It may not be an intense, emotional, passionate hatred the way we might normally think of when we hear the word, but throughout the Scriptures the word “hatred” often means to merely reject. Even without the emotion, if we reject the people whom God has accepted, we have a problem. What John says next makes all of this even more uncomfortable. 

Read the rest…

Morning Musing: 1 John 4:20

Leave a comment

“If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (ESV – Read the chapter) 

Every now and then you come across a verse you’d rather just leave alone all things considered. If you could unread it somehow you might really consider doing that. Or, you could be convinced to make up something that isn’t totally true in order to fall generally in line with whatever it seems to be saying. This is one of those verses. 

Read the rest…