“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ.” —John 1:17 Paul tells us in Romans that the law was given to make us conscious of our sin: “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every …
Author Archives: andrew
22010.012 God’s Fullness
“For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another.” —John 1:16 Fullness is such a great word. It brings to mind thoughts of satisfaction, completion, entirety, and contentment. When we read the words “from his fullness” it speaks to all that is found within Jesus. All that is within Jesus … …
22010.010 God with Us!
“Now the Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We saw his glory—the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.” —John 1:14 The fullness of God in bodily form is difficult for us to get our minds around. Deity coming to earth in the …
22010.006 Becoming a Witness to the True Light
“A man came, sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.” —John 1:6–9 A shooting star sent forth from God to shatter the darkness of …
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22010.004 Jesus, Our Master Creator
“All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.” —John 1:3 Aardvarks, antelopes, alligators, and ants; bumblebees, bullfrogs, butterflies, and birds; caterpillars, chameleons, canines and cats; from the highest angel to the lowest worm. All of God’s creation was created ex nihilo–the Latin phrase for “out …
22210.030 Freedom
Listen to advice and receive discipline, that you may become wise by the end of your life. There are many plans in a person’s mind, but it is the counsel of the LORD which will stand.(Proverbs 19:20–21) In the Wisdom book of Ecclesiastes, often attributed to Solomon, we are told to “fear God and keep …
22210.029 The Good Leader
Doing wickedness is an abomination to kings, because a throne is established in righteousness. The delight of a king is righteous counsel, and he will love the one who speaks uprightly.(Proverbs 16: 12–13) Effective leaders have inner strengths of wisdom, understanding, and respect for others. Leadership ability does not depend upon external characteristics such as …
22210.028 The Good Woman
Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting. A woman who fears the Lord—she makes herself praiseworthy.(Proverbs 31:30) The condition of women is the criterion by which a society may be judged. To Solomon, the virtuous woman had value far beyond any measure of material wealth. The good woman is sensitive to and reflective of God …
22210.027 The Good Man
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.(Proverbs 11:3) Differentially, Solomon shades and colors his nearly innumerable maxims on goodness. No matter which iteration, however, wrongdoing is always a mistake, a source of insecurity and weakness, ultimately producing destruction and death, whereas goodness or the good person is …
22210.026 God
The LORD created me as the beginning of his works, before his deeds of long ago.Then I was beside him as a master craftsman, and I was his delight day by day, rejoicing before him at all times, rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth, and delighting in its people.(Proverbs 8: 22, 30–31) God …