Tag: Morning Musings

Morning Musing: Hebrews 1:1-2

1 Comment

“Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

“The time has come,” the Walrus said,
“To talk of many things:
Of shoes – and ships – and sealing-wax –
Of cabbages – and kings –
And why the sea is boiling hot –
And whether pigs have wings.”

Lewis Carroll, “The Walrus and the Carpenter”

When I was in Mr. Brock’s eighth grade algebra class, those words meant it was time to change up our seating chart. They still stick with me today and ring in my ears anytime I embark on something new. Well, it’s time for something new. The last week was a nice, natural break, but I am ready for a new journey with you. This is actually a journey I’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. Over the next few months, we are going to be slowly making our way through the New Testament letter of Hebrews. Hebrews is one of the most theological rich and pastorally impactful documents in the whole of the Scriptures. It easily rivals Romans on that score, in my opinion. But instead of offering a basic primer on the Gospel, Hebrews takes its readers deeper in an exploration of the preeminence of Christ. As we go, then, we are going to see why Jesus is so great. We’ll also encounter several applications of His greatness that are designed and intended to make us squirm a bit. I’m excited to dive in with you. I hope you’ll come with me for every step of the journey.

Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Psalms 34:12-14

1 Comment

“Who is someone who desires life, loving a long life to enjoy what is good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn away from evil and do what is good; seek peace and pursue it.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

We all want to live the good life. What exactly that means, however, isn’t necessarily something we all agree on – in fact, there is pretty wide disparity on what it means depending on who you ask. But however we might individually define it, it’s something we all want. The real question is: How can we have it? What we find here is a pretty good way forward no matter how you might define it. Let’s talk about what we see.

Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Romans 5:3-4

Leave a comment

“And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

How do you handle it when things don’t go your way? Are you the kind of person who can pretty much just roll with it, or are you more of a worrier? The fact is, sometimes life doesn’t go our way. And while those departures from expectation are usually fairly minor and little more than inconveniences, occasionally they are far more bothersome than that. Sometimes these setbacks take the form of various trials and tribulations; they appear as painful persecutions. What do we do then? Paul offers some counsel here that sounds really odd, but in the context of a relationship with Jesus makes perfect sense. Let’s talk about it.

Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Psalms 118:6-7

2 Comments

“The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me? The Lord is my helper; therefore, I will look in triumph on those who hate me.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

What is it that motivates you to courage? Is there anything in particular? Some people seem to have a natural bent toward courage. Some, not so much. But all of us have something we are willing to fight to protect. It may be something genuinely worth protecting, or we may have our priorities wildly out of balance, but we all have that thing. One of the great challenges of our life is to find that protective spirit, that willingness to put ourselves on the line for what we believe is right, harness it, and have it ready to call upon in a variety of different situations. What the psalmist offers us right here is something that can inspire courage in us no matter what our situation may be. Let’s talk about what it is and why it matters.

Read the rest…

Morning Musing: Ephesians 4:29

Leave a comment

“No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I think I was in third grade when I first began incorporating cuss words into my vocabulary. I thought I was pretty cool stuff. Of course, I did it where I thought no adults could hear me, but that’s what made it so risky and cool. A few years later, as I started really making engaging with the Scriptures a regular part of my routine, I came across this verse and fairly well quit cussing entirely. My legalistic self was quite proud of what I had accomplished (especially as that feeling allowed me to ignore any manner of other sins because at least I didn’t cuss like those other sinners did). Maybe you’ve struggled with the word choices you make on a regular basis, maybe not. But either way, I think what Paul is pointing us to here goes beyond a selection of words a particular culture has identified as taboo. Let’s talk this morning about communicating in ways that honor God.

Read the rest…