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Luke 10:26 -- Dissonance

  Luke 10-25-26 reads: "And Behold, a lawyer stood up and put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"   26 And He said to him, "What is written in the law?  How does it read to you?" Jesus goes on to answer the question (and the lawyer ask another, and Jesus answer with a parable).  I wanted to focus on 10:26.  In Jesus's initial response, he seems to understand that the lawyer may read the verse differently than Jesus does; Jesus asks, "How does it read to you?"  Of course Jesus is the authority, but He seems to understand that the laywer's understanding may differ from His ("...How does it read to you?"). This happens in my every day life.  I think it's important to keep in mind Jesus's question, and Proverbs 27:17 : " As iron sharpens iron, So one person sharpens another. "  I've recently had to change churches (I moved to a new city).  I "church shopped"; i.e, ...
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The Beatitudes

Matthew 5:3 - 5:12 are called 'The Beatitudes'.  They are part of The Sermon on the Mount, which is Matthew 5 - 7.  The Sermon on the Mount is Jesus's first major public speech.   The Beatitudes have left an impression on me and I felt like writing about them a bit. If you don't already, I hope you can appreciate them too.   Matthew 5:1 - 5:12 reads: Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said:   3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.   4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.   5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.   6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.   7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.   8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.   9 Blessed are the peacem...
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Practical Decision Making: Genesis 30:25 - 31:21

Let's look a 3 questions: For practical decision making, how do we know God's will in our lives, or how do we know God's will for a particular decision? How do we know when is a good time for giving of ourselves?  How much should we give? How do we ask for God's direction in a particular decision? 2nd Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) reads, " All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. "  Note these verses don't say, "Some scripture is God-breathed and useful", or, "My favorite verses are God-breathed and useful".  All of it is; from Genesis to Revelation. Let's focus on Genesis 30:25 - 31:21.  The story so far (concerning Jacob and Esau) is Jacob had stolen Esau's blessing he was to receive (from from their father Isaac), and needed to flee to Jacob's uncle's house in Padam-Aram.  There are ...
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