Tag Archives: bible

Paul in Acts: The Obedience of Faith

Before looking at the story of Paul’s conversion in Acts 9, I’m reminded of something he says in Romans: [Jesus is the one] through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the … Continue reading

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Paul in Acts: Even Scattered Seeds Grow

I’m reading the book of Acts right now with an eye toward studying Paul: his movements and his teachings according to Luke. I’ll carry this along for the first little bit here in 2025. For the purposes of clarity, I … Continue reading

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Best Books of 2024

Each year, I set myself a goal of reading one book per week. It’s a pretty ambitious goal and most years I miss the mark. But this year, I’ve finished 54 books and many of them have been really great. … Continue reading

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The Parable of the Ugly Christmas Ornament

In the Bybee family, we have a tradition of decorating for Christmas on the day after Thanksgiving. The boys and I get in the attic and bring down all of the Christmas boxes and while Sunny puts out all of … Continue reading

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True Faithfulness

One of the distinctive marks of the Kingdom of God is the way success is measured. This is one of the primary clashes between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world. In worldly kingdoms, success is about … Continue reading

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Essential

We’re days away from the most important election of our lives. At least that’s what we’re told. On Election Day, I’ll be 48 years old. By my count, this is about the 7th or 8th time in my adult life … Continue reading

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Confession: Penitential Psalms

There are many different types of psalms — psalms of praise, thanksgiving, lament, for example. Several psalms have been designated as “penitential psalms” because of the emphasis on confession and repentance. Below are a few excerpts from these psalms. May … Continue reading

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Jesus: The Alpha and the Omega

Jesus: The Alpha and the Omega Revelation 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet. Greek writers … Continue reading

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Knowing Jesus: Alpha and Omega

Sermon Thesis: Jesus as the Alpha and the Omega. Sermon Texts: Revelation 1:8; Revelation 22:12-13; Colossians 3:1-4 Today we wrap up our Knowing Jesus series by looking at one final name for Jesus that we find in the Scriptures. This … Continue reading

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Judge? Good News?

A little extra thought here. How is it good news that Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead? It’s actually good news for those who have suffered, those who have experienced oppression. Look at what Simon Peter … Continue reading

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