PHall | June 29, 2012
“I believe people are saved, not by objective truth but by Jesus.” “I don’t believe making disciples must equal making adherents to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many (not all!) circumstances to help people become followers of Jesus and remain with their Buddhist, Hindu, or Jewish contexts….” (Blue Like Jazz) – a […]
Category: John |
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PHall | June 28, 2012
I have been teaching parables to pre-school kids, and one blessing is the challenge in simplifying even the simple. In the parable of the prodigal son, both sons had the same problem, a lack of love. In the parable of the sheep and goats, the problem of the goats was not that they did bad […]
Category: Bible |
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PHall | June 23, 2012
Janet and I have decided to adopt again. I would like to introduce you to our newest son, Sam. He is a shovel. More on Sam later. There are certain realities within the Bible that make our modern sensibilities uncomfortable or even offended. These “archaic” realities are either God-based or society-driven. “Wives be subject to […]
Category: Colossians |
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PHall | June 23, 2012
God created (1:1); God said (1:2); God saw (1:4); God separated (1:4); God called (1:5); God said (1:6); God made (1:7); God called (1:8); God said (1:9); God called (1:10); God saw (1:10); God said (1:11); God saw (1:12); God said (1:14); God made (1:16); God placed (1:17); God saw (1:18); God said (1:20); God […]
Category: II Corinthians, Genesis |
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PHall | June 22, 2012
Never underestimate the ignorance of your…self. That is a perryphrase of a popular saying given to speakers. Everyone once in a while I discover something I didn’t know, and often it is simple. There is a phrase in the baptism scene of Jesus where He says to His cousin and baptizer, “Allow it for now, because […]
Category: Matthew, Isaiah |
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Tags: Chiasm
PHall | June 21, 2012
Sin is either thought or action; unlike love which is both thought and action. Since God is love, love doesn’t just think good thoughts and plan, it acts. In 1 Cor.14:25 the Holy Spirit was acting through people to prophesy the secrets of one’s heart. Love cannot prophesy the secrets, but it can show interest […]
Category: I Corinthians |
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PHall | June 16, 2012
“What Beethoven is in the realm of music, what Shakespeare is in the realm of literature, what Spurgeon was among the Victorian preachers, that is Isaiah among the prophets” (J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore the Book, v.3, p.217). Such exuberant praise is deserved and directed towards Isaiah’s “style – its grandeur and dignity, its energy and […]
Category: Isaiah |
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Tags: Introduction
PHall | June 14, 2012
Following the example of Paul in 1 Corinthians 15: The 1st and 2nd Adam: The 1st Adam was created on the 6th day; the 2nd Adam was recreated on the 1st day. The 1st Adam was created on the last day of old creation; the 2nd Adam was recreated on the first day of new […]
Category: I Corinthians, Genesis |
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Tags: Finding Jesus
PHall | June 2, 2012
A troubled heart is a dangerous heart. It leads to questioning answers already given, and doubting what is already known. There is nothing wrong with asking questions and experiencing doubt if they lead to a greater search for truth. But recognizing the danger keeps the search from becoming vain if it happens at all. In […]
Category: John |
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