In this passage we come to the last of the seven I am statements. Jesus says, “I am the true Vine.” Jesus uses this illustration to teach his disciples what the only way of bearing fruit comes from. Here are two things to notice....
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now I am found, WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I SEE. In December of 1772 John Newton started to write the song that is so well known, Amazing Grace. I am not aware of every verse that inspired John Newton to write this song, but I do suspect that John 9 could have been used. If it wasn’t, it is still a very fitting line for the chapter we are studying today. Here are some points....
Today we come to one of the celebrations of Israel that holds much significance for us today. Let’s dive in....
Exodus 33 opens with the aftermath of the golden calf debacle. God’s answer to their rebellion was to tell them, “Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” God had been traveling in the midst of the people up to this point on their journey. In some mysterious way, Hi...
Keep ReadingWhen reading a chapter like Exodus 32, it is necessary to remind ourselves of the context. In this case, we can only comprehend the weight of the Israelite’s wickedness when we are reminded of what God had just done for them. These are the exact same people who had been living for generations as slaves under the oppressive hand of a genocidal maniac. They had just observ...
Keep ReadingIn verse one, Paul urges us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called. In other words, Paul is telling us to lead a life that is in step with God’s grace, to be governed by the Spirit, and to lead a life that is consistent with the implications of the gospel. This may sound simple to do, but in reality, we fight every day to walk in such a ma...
Keep ReadingOne of the greatest blessings that we have in this life, truly one of the most humbling and mind-boggling realities of the Christian life is that the Holy Spirit has been sent to make His home in our hearts. Every single believer functions as the “temple of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20) We are promised that the Holy Spirit will indwell us (Ezekiel 36:27), and sea...
Keep ReadingYesterday we began to explore the tabernacle and its various pieces of divinely mandated furniture. The key point to remember is that everything that God designed was intentionally done in order to point forward to Jesus Christ. Our primary focus yesterday was on the mercy seat that covered the ark of the covenant that represented the fact that Jesus would come and mer...
Keep ReadingPerhaps you have heard the phrase, “Talk is cheap.” It is all too easy to promise that we are going to do something and then fail to follow through. The Shepherding Notes today are simple in terms of complexity, simple to understand, but incredibly challenging to live out. Consider just a few verses....
Keep ReadingThe latter chapters of Exodus contain an abundance of instructions that the Lord gave to Moses concerning the specifications of the tabernacle and all of its furniture and design. Why was the LORD so particular about such small details like the color of the woven fibers ...
Keep ReadingEphesians 2 - June 23rd In biblical history there has always been a dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles. Gentiles are those who are everyone of different nations, people, language, tribe, that are not Jews. That means that all of us who are not Jewish fall into that category. So, if you and I lived in the era of the Old Testament, we would not be able to take part in ...
Keep ReadingFreedom In Christ, Live by the Spirit...
Keep ReadingOne of the things I have been encouraged by is seeing time and time again how Paul roots all of his theology back to the gospel. Chapter 6 is a practical picture of someone who is living by the Spirit and not the flesh, which was rooted in the gospel (vs) 5:24 says “and those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” The way th...
Keep ReadingChrist became a curse for us...
Keep ReadingIf you notice in this chapter Paul takes a very parental approach when addressing the Galatian church. That is because he deeply cares for their soul, and he sees the dangers of turning to legalism. We will divide this into two parts....
Keep ReadingLet’s recap for just a moment. The Israelites have just been freed from their enslavement to the most powerful nation in the world. God set them free by sending the most powerful plagues in the history of the world. He then conquered their enemies by literally parting the Red Sea and leading them through safely before crushing Pharaoh and his armies beneath the collapsin...
Keep ReadingWhen we last saw the Israelites, they had just made their way through the Red Sea and had turned around to see the Egyptians pursuing them with all deliberate speed. Once every Israelite had safely made it above the water line, the Lord closed the waters in, destroying Pharaoh and his entire army. Proverbs 11:10 tells us that, “when the wicked perish there are shouts of ...
Keep ReadingChrist our Example...
Keep ReadingPaul the true apostle and the one true gospel...
Keep ReadingThe integrity of the Gospel...
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