August 7, 2013
August 5, 2013
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
June 30, 2013
After a laundry list of things we all struggle with he then turns to the virtues for loving neighbor: Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Generosity. How would living these gifts affect the relationships around us? How would our unchurched neighbor, and the world respond if this were the impression they shared of the church?
June 9, 2013
Today we have a story about the commissioning of the 70. Think about that—seventy
going out in pairs of two. Seventy—that is like what we have here. I have a picture, going
door to door in our suits and ties, handing out copies of the watchtower. What do you think, do you want to give it a try? Pair in two’s, get on our pressed suits…? Any takers? And then there were 30…