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Fourthstream
Do you ever find yourself under some load of concern? Someone has let you down. You feel like you are falling short in a relationship. You find yourself often wishing things were different than they are. This is a common aspect of being human. Realism lives side by side with hope. Jesus said that living […]
GENESIS 1-4 and JOB 1-2 As we begin our journey through the entire Bible (it will take awhile) we launch at the beginning. Genesis 1-11 gives us the roots of the human race. The remainder of the book tells us about God’s plan through the chosen race: the Jews. We will read Genesis in tandem […]
There are several insights the God Story gives us about how a home can experience true peace. While the challenges to family life are many and varied, HOW we prepare and follow through as partners and parents has much to do with our success in family life. Think about it: what is your picture of […]
(Read page 23 in Curious Journey) What do you see when you look in the mirror? An imperfect nose? Symetry issues? I personally have lived with misappropriated ears all of my life. Bummer. One of the great questions of life is “why are things the way they are?” And what about relationships? The things that […]
(What a concept! Enjoy the essay on page 59 on Curious Journey.) Have you ever had a situation or person that you can’t shake? Perhaps often on your mind with a certain amount of dread or even an unpleasant cloud hanging over your head? And how does it feel when the situation is confronted, addressed – […]
Each of us has unique spiritual gifting. This is a clearly woven thread of the God Story (1 Peter 4:7-11). The gifts differ, and even the 20 or so which are listed have extensive multiplied effects. This is part of the beauty of being made in the image of God – and of experiencing the presence […]
Who are you as a person? What is your family all about? Your friends and neighbors? What is unique about your unfolding personal story? We are all inescapably impacted by the times in which we live. Though we share many things human – in each century and decade, each geo-ethnic circumstance completely impacts how we […]
Do you ever feel a little lost or disconnected? Things you hope for either don’t work out or leave you feeling flat? This is exactly addressed in the God Story. There is a “God-shaped hole” in all of us, and no amount of love, money, friends, or stuff will take the place God created within […]
As I have once again considering the letters to Timothy I am amazed about a few things. 1 Timothy 4:1,2 has captured my imagination with all that is unfolding around us right now. The phrase doctrines of demons deserves a closer look. The original language (Greek) appears to amplify that these are the teaching instructions […]
King first. Then Kingdom. Then Church. Jesus’ work flows from His Kingship. Jesus said “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” […]
It is difficult to separate the historic church from what “church” meant in the first century – and for that matter, to Jesus Himself. Jesus mentions the church only a few times (Matthew 16;18; 18:17), but He speaks of the Kingdom many times (Matthew 4:7,23). This is the story of the book of Ephesians. As […]
As the Gospel takes root among the Gentiles throughout the world, God’s purpose for the Jews comes to fruition. They experienced, recorded, and protected God’s Word to the world. In doing so they amplified the truth about humanity as well as God Himself. And through them the Savior of the world was brought into the […]
It is truly difficult to make sense out of our human history regarding philosophy, science, and theology. Philosophy in essence is our reflections upon what makes us tick – for better and for worse. Science is supposed to be “conclusions based upon weighing facts to prove what is irrefutable.” Theology is man’s organization of what is […]
When I first began to read and study the book of Romans, I was amazed at the run-on sentence abilities of the Apostle Paul. I don’t mean this negatively – it just blew me away how so much could be stuffed into a sentence, a paragraph, or a chapter. Romans has been an anchor for […]
Sometimes the kindest things done can emerge from the most difficult challenges. Looking back, can you see God’s mercy in the midst of something which seemed harsh or unpleasant to you at the time? Every one of the early churches experienced in-common challenges, but each were tailored to their own cities and settings. James addresses […]
Each letter coming from Jesus’ apostles reflected the heart and challenges of specific groups of believers. Though the Gospel of the Kingdom was one message, it was taking root in endless hearts and cultures – just as it is today. Paul traveled from the Thessalonians to the city of Corinth. It was in his heart […]
You can find our conversation on 1 Thessalonians in our Launch from Antioch post. 2nd Thessalonians is filled with encouragement for Christ-followers in tough times. Their faith was expanding and satan was working hard to diffuse their focus through fear. Apparently someone had decided to claim that what Paul had taught them about the Day […]
Are you finding it hard to experience self-motivation right now? This is not a new human issue (surprise!) As the Good News of Jesus explodes to the entire world there are three movements, all based upon the life-changing Coming of the Son of God. The first begins in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (the […]
God wants us to experience a deep companionship with Him. He wants us to be free from thought and heart processes which place us into bondage.“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” – 2 […]
LET’S BE FREE! (for more on Galatians type Syncretic Method into the search box) As the new church grew in the wake of the resurrection of Jesus, there needed to be some serious reorientation. Jesus was promised to arrive through the Jews, God’s chosen people, and God used the Law of Moses, the Kings, and […]
There is little argument about who the defining change-agent is in history. There is a reason for this. There is no one who taught the way He did. All other miracle workers in history are lame in comparison. It is one thing to inspire and gather thousands of followers. It is completely another to continue […]
We now hear from one of Jesus’ closest companions while He lived on the earth. His Mom Mary and His dad Joseph and brothers and sisters certainly had a special window into His miraculous life. And His cousin John (the Baptist) must have been interesting at family reunions. Peter, James, and John were close to […]
What a great Gospel! In Matthew the King comes to the earth in human form through the Father’s promises through the Jewish nation. Mark’s Gospel explodes for the Roman mind: “don’t tell me about the Jewish story – just tell me what He did!” God’s Servant is sacrificed for the sins of the world – […]
The Jewish world was prepared to provide everything needed to bring Messiah into human history. Matthew recounts their story and how it intertwined with the life of Jesus the Nazarene. The book of Mark is designed to communicate the Story to the Roman mind. There was little appreciation for His Jewish roots among Gentile-Romans around […]
Over the next several weeks we will encounter the 4 eye-witness accounts of the life of Jesus. Matthew spoke to a Jewish audience and was most interested in Jesus’ connection to Moses. Mark is more Greek in orientation, and is focused more on what Jesus did than what He taught. Show me what He did! […]
The teaching of the God Story about the Holy Spirit is revolutionary for a Kingdom heart. It is spiritual life 101, second only to the teaching about God’s Son. Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be […]
For many people the word grace is associated with giving or receiving personal space from someone else. Grace in the God Story could easily be translated undeserved kindness. Both our human need and God’s greatness find a home in the word grace. Because our need is so never-endingly deep and God is so ultimate in […]
Jesus was God’s prophet. Jesus was God’s great high priest for all of mankind. Jesus IS King over the entire earth. Jesus created the world. Jesus will judge the world. Today we consider the relational depth of what it meant for the Son to leave His glory and visit the earth. After all, “what will […]
Do you ever wonder why things are the way they are? Why is the world (and life) filled with so much pain? Why do humans exploit and harm one another? As sons of Adam we each bear the image of an all-powerful Creator Father. God has a mouth, eyes, hands etc. – so whatever it […]
Have you ever seen angelic activity? How would you feel if you did? What do you think about the existence of angels? What are they like? How do angels compare to humans? Are there good angels and bad angels? Can they be seen with the human eye? Are there other dimensions? Are Satan, Gabriel, and Michael […]