Mourners | Matthew 5:4

Blessed are those who mourn,for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 ESV As I walked through the wilderness of this world, I lighted on a certain place, where was a Den, and I laid me down in that place to sleep: And as I slept, I dreamed a Dream. I dreamed, and behold I saw …

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A Reflection on Sermon Planning

As of today, I am three weeks into studying the Beatitudes. But that wasn't the plan. I have a short-list of potential sermon series perpetually floating around my head, but in either June or July, I take some time to make a tentative sermon schedule for the following year. Throughout the years, I've had many …

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Poor in Spirit | Matthew 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spiritfor theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 ESV Paradoxically, King David's most notorious sins give us a glimpse at just what makes him a great man of God. You probably know the story. After years on the run from Saul, David's kingdom is finally established. But in his …

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Blessed | Matthew 5:1-3

Seeing the crowds,he went up on the mountain,and when he sat down,his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouthand taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:1-3 ESV The French mathematician Blaise Pascal once wrote: All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever …

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Redeemed: A Restorer of Life

Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” …

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Rest: Who Are You? | Ruth 3

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and …

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Gleaning: Under the Wings of Yahweh

Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, …

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So Naomi Returned | Ruth 1:7-22

So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with …

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Great Resources for Learning Biblical Greek

Martin Luther once wrote of theological education, saying: And further, if I could bring it to pass among you I should like to ask that you do not neglect the languages but, since it would not be too difficult for you, that you have your preachers and some of your gifted boys learn Latin, Greek, …

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When Darkness Seems to Hide His Face | Ruth 1:1-6

In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of …

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