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For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1: 16-17). Pivot is a word that gets thrown around a lot at work. When we pivot away from something, it m...
Keep ReadingHe is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17 We're starting a new series this week called, Hope of Glory, and the first sermon in the series will focus on the "supremacy of Christ." In thinking about what to write this week, the word "supreme" kept coming back to me. That led to me thinking about taco supremes from Taco Bell and supreme pi...
Keep Reading"For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:16) When I read through Colossians 1:15-18, I was reminded of how different God is from me. He is the great creator (v16). He is supreme over all things (v17). He ...
Keep ReadingThe Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15). The Son - Jesus - is the image of the invisible God. Wait. Stoprightthere. This is an awe-inspiring Truth that we ought to sit and ponder. How could God, the Creator of all things, the One who spoke the Universe into existence, be seen with our imperfect vision? How could the ...
Keep ReadingThe Spirit of the Lord will rest on himthe Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11: 2-3) I had this problem I've been dealing with for a while. I've kept it to myself, trying to work through it. As I've tried, and failed, the pain cau...
Keep ReadingA shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit (Isaiah 11:1). My mom has a wonderful "green thumb." She has beautiful plants inside and landscaped gardens outside. Me - not so much. (Apparently, this gift skipped a generation.) So when we purchased our home here in Chapel Hill that came with rose bushes, I had to call in my local "ho...
Keep Reading"The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra's den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper's nest. T...
Keep ReadingIn that day, the Root of Jesse [Jesus] will stand as a banner for the peoples;the nations will rally to Him, and His place of rest will be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10) Think of a time when you were in a dark place, circumstances grim, "enemies" ready to pounce. Nothing seemed hopeful, and you were almost worn out praying. You knew God would act; you'd seen Him act before. You...
Keep ReadingThe earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the seas (Isaiah 11:9). The Old Testament is many things: long and sometimes hard to understand; divinely inspired and deeply human. It contains some of the world's most soaring writing, and some of the most searing. It feels in many ways like a story in search of its completion. It is. And that ...
Keep ReadingDo not trust in deceptive words and say, "This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord!" (Jeremiah 7:4) Symbolism sounds like one of those literary words reserved for high school English class. Maybe you enjoyed it, maybe you were happy to leave it behind. Whether that was a pleasant memory for you or not, we crave symbols and their assoc...
Keep Reading"'Take a trip down to the place that was once in Shiloh, where I met my people in the early days. Take a look at those ruins, what I did to it because of the evil ways of my people Israel (Jeremiah 7:12 MSG). Before I moved with my family this summer, I spent some extra time in the worship and outdoor spaces at each of our campuses. Whenever I had some spare minutes in my...
Keep Reading"Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal and follow other gods you have not known, and then come and stand before me in this house, which bears my Name, and say, "We are safe"safe to do all these detestable things? Has this house, which bears my Name, become a den of robbers to you? But I have been watching!" declares the Lord (Jeremiah...
Keep ReadingHear the word of the Lord, all you people of Judah who come through these gatesto worship the Lord. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says:"Reform your ways and your actions, and I will let you live in this place" (Jeremiah 7:2-3). A few weeks ago, we looked at the Ten Commandments given to the people of Israel. As we learned, these laws were given by God...
Keep Reading"The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord" ..." Look,' the Lord says, "you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless" (Jeremiah 7:4,8). Israel is unified, prosperous, and at peace when King Solomon dedicates the glorious new temple. God then appears to him with this encouragement -- and a critical warning: I have consecrated this te...
Keep Reading"This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites.Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing." So they obeyed the word of the Lordand went home again, as the Lord had ordered (1 Kings 12: 24). My wife has a saying for when things start to go poorly. She calls it a "hot mess." And when things get crazy, she describes it as a "hot...
Keep ReadingBut Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consultedthe young men who had grown up with him and were serving him (I Kings 12:8). I Kings chapter 12 provides us with some powerful examples of how NOT to be faithful to our faithful God. It tells the story of Rehoboam and Jeroboam. Rehoboam was Solomon's son and heir to the throne. Jeroboam was a rival to the t...
Keep Reading1 Kings 12 One thing I particularly love about going to a classical Christian school is that we get to talk about difficult cultural issues that are not common topics but are still highly relevant today. In my Apologetics class, we are reading The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis. We are not very far into the book, yet, one point has stuck out to me, and it is this: kindness...
Keep ReadingThis turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word He had spoken (1 Kings 12:15,24). Do you ever struggle to see God's faithfulness? You know He's faithful; you've witnessed it in the past; but sometimes you wonder if He'll be faithful since you've messed up again. The Old Testament shows us Israel's repeated failures and disobedience. It might have taken repeated...
Keep Reading1 Kings 11-12 To get a handle on this week's passage (1 Kings 12) in our Age to Age: The Big Story of God's Faithfulness series, we need to understand some background (1 Kings 11). A summary follows, but you would be well served by reading 1 Kings 11-12 for yourself as we start this week (estimated reading time is 5-6 minutes for each chapter c'mon, you can find 10 or so...
Keep ReadingNot one word has failed of all the good promises he gave(1 Kings 8:56). Connect Devotionals are written roughly two weeks in advance of the correlating message being given. Each week we receive Pastors Jaime's and Alex's notes on the coming sermon, and Editor Brian includes his notes and writing prompts on it as well. In Brian's notes this week were some questions that I'...
Keep ReadingAs for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your namefor they will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched armwhen they come and pray toward this temple, then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know yo...
Keep Reading"When they sin against youfor there is no one who does not sinand you become angry with them if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their captors and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly'; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul and pray to youthen f...
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