When acknowledging Jesus' wisdom and power is not enough (Mark 6:1-6)

My minister friend has been teaching the men’s Sunday School class in our church this month. He is to preach this Sunday morning and asked me to substitute for him. (No, not the preaching — the SS teaching.)

I haven’t made much headway yet in preparing for the class, but here are some of the preliminary notes I have so far. (Maybe taking the time to post them in this format will help cement them in my own mind in preparation to teach…and live.)

“And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him” (Mark 6:1).

Am I enough of a disciple to do what disciples do — follow the Master? For some reason, that reminds me of a little saying I saw recently:

“Rather than putting Christ back in Christmas, I’d settle for putting Christ back in Christians.”

Continue reading →

Walk in it. Share it. Honor it. Live in it.

2 Thessalonians 3:1-5; 2 John 4-11

Do I want people to pray this for me: “that the word of the Lord may have free course”?

Where do I find my strength?

What kind of confidence do others have in me and about me?

Is God directing my heart?

Disorderly — does that describe me?

“Be not weary in well doing” — how does that apply to me right now?

Where do I find my peace?

Free Course

I suppose most of us generally like the sound of that.

With no restrictions, we have free course to do whatever we want, whenever want, wherever we want, however we want, for as long as we want.

But what about this next “free course”?

“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1).

Am I willing to give God’s Word free course in my life? Continue reading →

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