Tag Romans

Don’t Leave a Hole in the World

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In the holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life, Jimmy Stewart’s character George Bailey gets an opportunity to see what the world would be like if he never existed, and it’s not good.  George had a big impact on his community and the people around him, but the broader point of the movie is that if any of us were missing, there would be a gaping hole where we should be.

At the beginning of the book of Romans, Paul introduces himself as: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God”[1]  Most of his letters start this way.

Imagine if Paul had not been called to be an apostle, or written Romans.  There would be a hole where Romans should be, and the same is true of work for God that anyone leaves undone.  We may not be George Bailey or Paul, but everyone has a role in the church and the world by the will of God.  We are not called to be apostles as Paul was, but we are all called to something.

What’s your something?

[1] Romans 1:1

Attention to God’s Details

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“Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. Two cubits and a half was its length, a cubit and a half its breadth, and a cubit and a half its height.” – Exodus 37:1

The ark in miniature. Photo by Igor Rodrigues on Unsplash

Most of Exodus chapters 36-40 cover the many, many details of the construction of the tabernacle and all of its utensils and other parts.  We may tire of reading chapters of details, but the point is that Bezalel and others put a massive amount of care (and obedience) into the implementation of God’s pattern for the tabernacle, as shown to Moses on the mountain.

What does it mean for us now?  That we should put as much care into learning what God wants of us and put it into action in our lives.

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  – Romans 15:4-6

Suffering Proves We Are Real: Sunday Share from Marshall Segal

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Today’s (early) Sunday Share comes from Marshall Segal, writing at desiring God.org on Romans 5:3-4, which says: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Segal asks “how we can rejoice even while still in the midst of our sufferings,” and notes that “suffering in itself does not produce hope from scratch. Suffering will not create hope where there is none. But it can serve to strengthen and refine an already living hope.”

Full article linked below. Check it out.

(Estimated reading time 7 minutes)

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