Read Eph 5:1-20 The command to ‘imitate God’ seems impossible to honour. How can failed and fallen human beings imitate God? True, but that’s not what Paul is getting at. He is asking us to imitate God in his values and character toward people and their world. This makes it more exciting than impossible, right? [...]
Archive for the ‘Grace’ Category
Watch what God does, and then you do it
Posted in Christian faith, Devotional Readings, Family, Grace, Incarnation, Mission, Presence, Relationship, Spirituality, tagged Imitation of Christ, Influence, Injustice, Justice, transformation on May 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The Surprise of Grace
Posted in Christian faith, Church, Devotional Readings, Election, Grace, Spirituality, tagged Grace, Sovereignty on May 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Read Romans 5:-11 “We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his doors to us … we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God graciously pours into our lives through his Holy Spirit.” Grace surprises us. Sometimes this comes with the realisation [...]
Power and Self
Posted in Christian faith, Devotional Readings, Grace, Spirituality, tagged Love, Power, Selflessness, Servanthood on May 23, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Read: Gal 5:13, John 13:3,4 When we think of power, and self, and what we might do if we had unlimited power and freedom, it is understandable that we start to think about ourselves. Take a different career track. Or retire and cruise the Whitsundays. Buy a new house. Deal with the challenging relational situation [...]
Not much to look at…
Posted in Christian faith, Devotional Readings, Grace, Opposition, Pastors, Popularity, Preaching, Presence, Relationship, Spirituality, Struggle, Trials, tagged inferiority, powerlessness, Weakness on May 21, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Read: 2 Cor 4 I don’t like being weak, and I certainly don’t like being perceived as weak. So I engage in the stupidity of covering up. It is a clumsy attempt to project some other reality, one of relative strength and having it together. I think I shortchange God when I do this. Paul [...]
Offended?
Posted in Christian faith, Comfort, Devotional Readings, Grace, Mission, Spirituality, tagged Gospel, Grace, Hope, mission, Skandalon on May 20, 2011 | 1 Comment »
Read Ezekiel 34 (again) The audacious message of grace is Jesus has offensive undercurrents. Not that God is offensive, but more that we might find his grace offensive.Think about it: Paul reminds us that the message of the cross is a stumbling block and foolishness to many (1 Cor 1:23). That puts it mildly. It [...]
The Audacity of Grace
Posted in Christian faith, Church, Church systems, Devotional Readings, Grace, Mission, Pastors, Teachers, Teaching, Trials, tagged Grace, Hope, Leadership on May 19, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Read Ezekiel 34:11-16 I am struck by the contrast between the abusive shepherds of Israel and the Lord, who is the good shepherd. A context of the shepherd’s self interest and abuse we are drawn to the breathtaking faithfulness of the Sovereign Lord. He knows all, and decides to do all to change this ugly [...]
Fuel for the fight…
Posted in Christian faith, Devotional Readings, Grace, Opposition, Presence, Relationship, Spirituality, Trials on May 16, 2011 | 2 Comments »
Read: Leviticus 26:1-13 The book of Leviticus is a challenge at the best of times. One writer says ‘The contents of the book, perhaps more than any other book of the Bible, see so removed from the daily life of the contemporary Christian that one is tempted to avoid the effort.’ Even so, maybe today’s [...]
No longer I…
Posted in Christian faith, Devotional Readings, Grace, Presence, Relationship, Spirituality on May 15, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Read Gal 2:11-21 The theme for our readings these last days has been ‘The Lord is with us’. Could there be a more relevant passage than Gal 2:20? “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” I am deeply moved by this reality. All ancient religions, and [...]
Present
Posted in Christian faith, Church, Devotional Readings, Grace, Presence, Spirituality, worship on May 14, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Read: Romans 8:1-11 This morning I am struck by the simplicity of this week’s prayer: Lord, you have promised to meet those who seek your face. Come now and reveal your presence to me as I make myself present to you. In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen We invest so much energy [...]
It’s tough, but…
Posted in Christian faith, Church, Devotional Readings, Grace, Opposition, Spirituality, Struggle, Trials, tagged Discontent, Opposition, struggle on May 13, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Read: Acts 18:5-11 Paul encounters great opposition as he preaches the Gospel in Corinth (18:5-6). In the context of this abuse, the Lord spoke to Paul and said “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because [...]
What I am doing- DaveGroenenboom: Looking forward to preaching at +Gateway Community Church tomorrow morning. Loving the way the message of Jesus… https://t.co/o0ty46y7 May 26, 2012
- DaveGroenenboom: Sitting in a regional church meeting for the CRCA, where reports are given on what happened at our recent Synod.… https://t.co/pftoTSTa May 26, 2012
- DaveGroenenboom: Why I love the work of International Justice Mission: 42 men, women and children freed from slavery. Read the story… https://t.co/tkCi5sEb May 25, 2012
Vistor Locations:
Categories
- Aged Care
- Alzhiemers
- Brisbane
- Christian faith
- Christian Living
- Church
- Church systems
- Comfort
- Culture
- Dementia
- Devotional Readings
- Discipleship
- Driving
- Election
- Environment
- Family
- Flood
- Funeral
- Grace
- Great reading
- Healthy Churches
- Incarnation
- Influence
- Jesus
- Kerouac
- Koala
- Men
- Men's Issues
- Metanarrative
- Mission
- Newell Highway
- Opposition
- Pastors
- Perth
- Popularity
- Preaching
- Presence
- Reformed Theology
- Refuge
- Relationship
- Road
- Road Trip
- Small Groups
- Spirituality
- Story
- Struggle
- Teachers
- Teaching
- Transformation
- Trials
- Unwanted Advertising on WordPress
- Worldview
- worship
-
Top Posts
-
Recent Posts
-
Recent Comments
- davidgroenenboom on Why Church? – Good Question…
- Don R on Why Church? – Good Question…
- Reina de Vries on Rethinking Refugees
- Joshua Hartog on Rethinking Refugees
- cleaners in brisbane on The Mudzone: After the flood in Brisbane’s West End
