"Yeshua [Jesus] wore a crown of thorns on the cross. Why? Thorns are the symbol of the curse of creation as it states, “the ground will produce thorns.” Messiah took the curse of creation on his head in order to break it and bring life and blessing to us."
- Rabbi Jason Sobel
“Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.” Mark 15:15
At root people pleasing is antiChrist.
- John Piper
If the resurrection is true, then everything’s going to be alright. - Timothy Keller
As we barrel towards the end of this age, while in the “information age”, confusion is rampant. It’s impressive how we label these times thinking with more information, we will find Truth, but get quite the opposite. -TJ Sewob
“You spoke with your mouth, and with your hand have fulfilled it.” 1 Kings 8:24
God does not predict. He prophesies and then performs. -John Piper
Never do we find God's grace unless something has shown us our weakness, insufficiency, sin and neediness. - Timothy Keller
“Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
“Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” Philippians 3:7
You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. — 1 Peter 1:5
When James admonishes us to bless and honor “without partiality” he is not calling us to favor the poor over the rich, he is asking us to give without regard to what others can give back. “Pure and undefiled religion” is to bless others with no desire to be blessed in return. -David Sliker
In marriage, do for your spouse what God did for you in Jesus, and the rest will follow. - Timothy Keller
Yes: Get in the Scriptures, study Jesus, embrace the cross daily, and imitate him.
No: Get online, check out the latest political meme, mantra, or cliché, then scour the Scriptures looking for support texts.
-Joel Richadson
“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints” (Ps 116:15) – which means natural death, but also applies when we fully embrace the crucified life and die to self. - Marci Sorge
“ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου.” = “obedient unto death.” Philippians 2:8
Even though he lay down his life “of his own accord,” it was in obedience to the Father. “It was the will of the Lord to crush him.” Isaiah 53:10 “Unto death.” “Not my will, but yours, be done.” Luke 22:42 -John Piper
“God is an ethnicist. The Being Who created the universe has unequivocally identified himself with a particular ethnic group in His administration of redemptive history.” - John Harrigan from “The Gospel of Christ Crucified”
James writes forcefully about three key themes: wisdom, meekness, and humility - all expressed through a lifestyle of repentance, restraint, and sacrificial service to all without partiality.
This is fueled by the fear of the Lord in obedience to the Sermon on the Mount. -David Sliker
A humbling Day is coming when:
* Gentiles will be ashamed and embarrassed as God restores and exalts Israel.
* Israel will be ashamed and embarrassed as they see Gentiles raised from the dead because of their faith in Messiah Jesus.
Don't be ignorant of the mystery (Rom 11:25). -Joshua Hawkins
We are much better at noticing the works of someone else's sinful nature than we are at battling our own. - Timothy Keller
I am honestly more amazed at the grace God has shown me since I have been a believer than the grace he showed in saving me as a wretched rebel in 1971. - Dr. Micheal Brown
“Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.” Psalm 111:2
Not all who study them delight in them. But all who delight in them study them. -John Piper
"The universe we live in has properties one would expect if it were, in fact, designed by a God who had us in mind when He made the place." -- Stephen Meyer (PhD., Cambridge)
"If you don't have a theological conviction greater than an experiential understanding, you don't make it very long." -Dick Brogden
“Israel will not bring a message to the nations—Israel IS the message.” - Art Katz
The remedy for self-love is not self-loathing, but rather self-forgetfulness. - Timothy Keller
Our churches are building a stage when they should be building a table. - Pastor Dustin Smith
"It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains...and all the nations shall flow to it." (Is 2:2)
All nations flowing to Israel's God.
A real temple in Jerusalem.
It's coming.
Maranatha
-Joshua Hawkins
Community is 'common unity.'
The Christian is connected to Christ, therefore connected to one another.
-Isaac Bennett
“When the Lord summoned a famine on the land
and broke all supply of bread,
he had sent a man ahead of them,
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.”
Psalm 105:16–17
Summoned a famine. In hunger. Sent a savior. In chains. Sovereignty. -John Piper