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I.We come this week to a man the Gospel presents as called into the wilderness so that he might call others to …. Please read these words from the Gospel of Matthew and pay attention to John. Look at him. … Continue reading
Category Archives: ISSL
Please take another opportunity to reread this week’s Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%202%3A1-2%2C%207-15&version=NRSV;CEB;NET VI.I closed the other day by asking –“How do you understand what has led each to where they find themselves here?” I have been thinking about what led the … Continue reading
Take some time to reread the passage a couple of times –https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%202%3A1-2%2C%207-15&version=NRSV;CEB;NET IV.This passage opens for us a way to notice that the same event, the same piece of history is seen by different folk in very different ways. It … Continue reading
I.As we approach the fourth Sunday of Advent, we have as our Scripture focus the arrival of the “wise men.” While we have Christmas hymns that call these men “kings,” they were more likely of a class of scholars or … Continue reading
Here is this week’s Scripture passage for you to read again –https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%201%3A18-25&version=NRSV;CEB;MSG VI.As you considered these past several days when and where did Emmanuel become more real for you? I know there are times (days, weeks, even more) when such … Continue reading
You will find three translations of this week’s Scripture passage here –https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%201%3A18-25&version=NRSV;CEB;MSG IV.In the previous post I asked us to focus on the phrase, “God with us.” We noticed how God’s arrival caused changes in the lives of Mary and … Continue reading
I.Let’s focus this week on the phrase, “God with us.” The Gospel writer presents to us in these few sentences how the lives of three people intersect. He recounts that one is to be named “Emmanuel” and tells us that … Continue reading
You can read again this week’s Scripture passage here,https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%201%3A1-6%2C%2016-17%2C%20Hebrews%201%3A1-5&version=NRSV,CEB VIII.Matthew tells us of 52 generations, in his counting, that preceded the coming of Jesus on the scene. Those generations can help us think of the history that preceded Jesus’ birth, … Continue reading
This week’s Scripture is given in three translations here –https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%201%3A1-6%2C%2016-17%2C%20Hebrews%201%3A1-5&version=NRSV,GNT,MSG V.Spend some time reading these words from Hebrews 1:1-5, Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he … Continue reading
I.The Scripture for these next weeks has as their theme “Call in the New Testament.” We start with the genealogy of Jesus Matthew presents and with the genealogy of Jesus the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews presents. As … Continue reading