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Craig L's Blog

Commonplace Holiness

Tag: disciples

  • Obedience and the Spirit of Truth – John 14:15-21

    Obedience and the Spirit of Truth – John 14:15-21

    The themes in this section of the Gospel of John resonate well with the themes I am often addressing at this web site. Jesus calls his followers into a life of obedience — and promises the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to them.

    In the Gospel of John, we see Jesus preparing his disciples for the days to come with a long discourse: it begins in Chapters 13 and runs through chapter 16, with a closing prayer added in chapter 17. The passage I’m discussing today is just a brief snippet from that longer discourse. This passage is memorable because in contains of the promise of the Holy Spirit. But, it is framed on either side by a challenge to keep Christ’s commandments.

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  • A Radical Call – Matthew 4:12-23

    A Radical Call – Matthew 4:12-23

    A story can be told in more than one way. Two witnesses may see events in a significantly different way. I think sometimes preachers, commentators, and theologians give in too easily to the temptation to get behind the story of Jesus rather than reading it for what it is . The way the story is told cues us to the meaning the gospel writers saw in the story. It is story-telling that we encounter in the Gospels, not some kind of scientific history writing. The story has a point. That’s why the gospel writers tell it. In addition, people often too quickly attempt to harmonize and explain. And, I think the temptation is strong in this passage.

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