The English language can be a lot of fun, especially when we use words and phrases figuratively to convey an idea that would make no sense in any other culture. We use these idioms most naturally because we’ve grown up around them, but for those who haven’t been soaked in their not-literal sense, figurative languageContinueContinue reading “Pursue Holiness: Gentleness and Self-Control”
Category Archives: Holy
Pursue Holiness: Kindness and Goodness
I am fascinated at the way the Bible is woven together by common themes and imagery throughout its pages. For instance, from the beginning, we are given concrete examples of what God deems ‘good’. At the end of each day of Creation, God looks upon what He has spoken into existence and calls it tov,ContinueContinue reading “Pursue Holiness: Kindness and Goodness”
Pursue Holiness: Patience and Faithfulness
Seeds die, falling from the fruit into the hand of the farmer who sows them back into the soil. Nourished in the hidden place, seeds awaken and shoot roots out into the soil. From there, stalks grow upward, out of the darkness and into the actual sunlight where they strengthen and mature. And bear fruit. ContinueContinue reading “Pursue Holiness: Patience and Faithfulness”
Pursue Holiness: Love, Joy, Peace
The vast majority of us have not grown up in an agricultural community. Unlike our Hebrew ancestors, we don’t have much experience walking through orchards full of fruit-laden branches, much less working long harvest days. But for Jesus and His first century audience, the regular rhythms of sowing and reaping would have been shared experiences.ContinueContinue reading “Pursue Holiness: Love, Joy, Peace”
Pursue Holiness: Remaining on the Vine
It feels a bit risky, word-lover that I am, to say that of all the words in the Bible ‘abide’ is my favorite. Yet, I find that the longer I dig into Scripture and seek more of the Spirit, the more I long for the abiding life! I want, as the Apostle John describes, toContinueContinue reading “Pursue Holiness: Remaining on the Vine”
Pursue Holiness: Staying on the Path
Paths wind their way around mountains, criss-cross over streams, and meander through fields. Sometimes a path is level and safe, requiring nothing more from us than intentional forward movement, while others demand planning and preparation, proper equipment, and people to guide us. Most simply, paths are the means for reaching a destination, but sometimes theyContinueContinue reading “Pursue Holiness: Staying on the Path”
Pursue Holiness: Live Holy
As we set out to dig into God’s call for us to be holy, let us remember the holiness of our God, the One who is the Creator of the cosmos, the Sovereign King of Kings, the Eternal Ancient of Days who was and is and always will be. In His presence, we are rightContinueContinue reading “Pursue Holiness: Live Holy”
Pursue Holiness: Be Holy
If I sat down next to you on a plane and asked you what ‘holy’ means, how would you respond? I’m guessing some of us might throw out words like ‘church’ or ‘cemetery’, ‘pure’ or ‘sacred’. And we’d be right. There are places that are more ‘holy’ than others, people and objects more pure andContinueContinue reading “Pursue Holiness: Be Holy”
Holy Spirit: Our Sanctifier
We have covered so much ground in studying our ‘word of the year,’ holy, that I sometimes forget where we started. So I went back and looked. After giving holy some meaning, some biblical context and definition, we spent the weeks of Lent looking at all that it means for something or someone to beContinueContinue reading “Holy Spirit: Our Sanctifier”
Holy Spirit: Our Gift-Giver
So now we know that Jesus models for us not only what ministry for the Kingdom looks like but how to do that ministry: in the power of Holy Spirit. Jesus is also our visual aid for demonstrating how to serve from giftedness: by way of spiritual gifts. And Jesus, He possessed all the gifts,ContinueContinue reading “Holy Spirit: Our Gift-Giver”