Tag: notes
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The Serpent, Sin, and the first Divided House
We have read the two creation accounts, and are set up to read about what we refer to as the Fall of Humanity—the moment humankind sinned against God and was removed from paradise, the moment the power of sin overtook human actions, thoughts, and beliefs. God has instructed people not to eat from the Tree…
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On Gaining the World and Losing Yourself
The Easter season is upon us, the liturgical part of the year when we reflect upon our own depravity and inability to be righteous or holy. In this season, leading up through good Friday and Black Saturday, we long for a savior to come free us from our sin, clothe us in His righteousness, and…
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Going to Church: Worthless?
Paul is admonishing the local church at Corinth toward unity through maturity in the faith. He is presently addressing the local church’s idolatry of the spiritual gifts. He does not discredit the spiritual gifts, but has instead stated that there is a better way than merely seeking after the spiritual gifts (12:31). As we work…
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The Lamb’s Victory
Satan could not devour Christ. He failed to consume Israel. Now, he is persecuting the church. He calls the first beast, worldly nations represented by Rome, out of the sea. The first beast establishes the second beast, the imperial cult or some national leader like Caesar. The whole world, those whose names are not written…
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The Biblical Response to Systemic Oppression
The dragon could not devour the child, Christ. He could not consume the woman, national Israel. So, he persecutes the other offspring of the woman, the church of Jesus Christ. John envisions how the serpent persecutes the church and exhorts the church to respond properly to the serpent’s persecution in the tribulation of this age—the…
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The Prophetic Vision of the Resurrection
In John 20, we read one account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave. Peter walked into the tomb and saw only the linen shroud. He called John to see that Christ’s body was missing. John saw and believed. In 20:9, the narrative provides us an interesting detail. They, Peter and John, did…
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Notes on “Letters to the Church” by Francis Chan
On Sunday we reviewed Francis Chan’s Letters to the Church. Below is an outline of Biblical usage and some brief notes. Chan’s book, Letters to the Church, begins by asking if all we had was our reading of the Bible, how would we imagine church to function? His thesis is that “God designed the Church to…