I recently began preaching through 1 John at Kingstree Church. Today’s picture serves as both a ‘logo’ for that series as well as a visual summary of the message of the book itself. The heart of 1 John appears as we consider the relationship between the book’s three central concepts, namely, Life, Light, and Love. […]
Lamentations 3:33, “He does not afflict from His heart or grieve the children of man.” /// Lamentations is not only one of the most concentrated expressions of agony in the entire Bible, it is also a intricately and densely woven piece of poetry. Jeremiah pours his grief over the destruction of Jerusalem into a strict
1 John 4:10, “In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” What is LOVE according to 1 John 4:10? It is that in God which moves Him to send His Son—and moves the Son to harmoniously respond
In many ways, it would appear that tremors of existential uncertainty have been rumbling through the collective millennial soul since the mid 2010’s, and my prayer has been that this animation might be used by the Lord in some small way to achieve the twin end of dismantling the explicit and implicit arguments of
The Wounds of God – An Animation about Doubt and Love at the Cross Read More »
John 8:12, “I am the light of life, the one following me does by no means walk in the darkness, but has the light of life.” Jesus says that the one who follows Him will have the “light of life.” I’m taking that to mean “the reality-illuminating revelation of who God is, whom to know
1 Corinthians 8:1-3, “This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.” (I’ve given you three levels of complexity on this right up, so, read which ever version
1 Corinthians 8:1-3 Read More »
1 John 4:18, “…perfect love casts out fear.” As we receive the love of God in Christ and are transformed into that same image of self-giving love, fear is cast out. What is fear? At its roots, fear is the belief that our story will end in darkness, that we will be finally cast
Based on many texts, but most especially 1 John 4:10. As self-made enemies of God, we all face the shattering power of God’s War of Love. However—from the overflow of that same love—God sent forth His own Beloved, His Image, His Word, His SON: Jesus Christ. In every way like one of the rebels (except
The Gospel – V – Love Read More »
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the
Ephesians 3:19, “…and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” This is the culmination of Paul’s prayer to the Father in Ephesians 3:14-19, and—as I’m sure I’ve said in this journal before—it is stunning in its simplicity and depth. Would we be
1 Corinthians 13:7, “Love bears all things…” …even justly deserved wrath.
1 Corinthians 13:7 Read More »
Song of Songs 8:6, “…love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD.” During the “poetry” section of my morning readings, I’m working through Song of Solomon (or Song of Songs, which I like better). There’s long been debate on
John 15:12, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus’ call to obey His commandment (s) (there are, I believe, two commandments in view when John uses the plural “commandments”, 1) to receive Jesus as the Son and Revealer of God, and 2) to love as He
1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment…” When we receive the love of God–poured out in the slain and risen Christ, mediated by the indwelling Holy Spirit–we are caused to love as we have been loved. And when the
1 John 4:12, “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.” God is definitively made known in His Son at the cross, and we continue to make Him known as we love one another as He has loved us…. If
Exodus 34:6, “YHWH, YHWH, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” Proverbs 16:6, “By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for…” Final atonement comes when the Holy God revealed on Mt. Sinai shows the fullness of His steadfast love and faithfulness toward His sinful people
Exodus 34:6 + Proverbs 16:6 Read More »
James 5:11, “You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” We have seen the heart of the Author of all our trials, and it is displayed at the cross of Christ….We know that the Lord is compassionate and
Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” To take up our cross means to follow after Jesus Christ–the Beautiful One who has satisfied our soul, who is the End of all our Desiring, who is Divine Love incarnate. It means to press
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on
Philippians 2:6-11 Read More »
Luke 7:48, “And He said to her, ‘Your sins are forgiven.’” Jesus suffered beyond imagination so that anyone who receives Him as Lord and God can hear this words spoken over them from the throne of the universe–today.
