Episodes

Friday May 20, 2016
Command #37 - Do Not Defraud
Friday May 20, 2016
Friday May 20, 2016
Countless sermons and devotions have been based on Jesus' exchange with the man we know as the "rich young ruler." The first three gospels recount the story using largely identical words and phrases. Indeed, this passage is one of those upon which scholars base their conviction that Matthew and Luke founded their writings upon Mark's gospel.

Thursday May 19, 2016
COA #26 - Be Kind
Thursday May 19, 2016
Thursday May 19, 2016
The more down-to-earth one makes the teachings of the Bible, the more certain intellectual spiritualists resent the absence of doctrine, theology, and analysis. The practicality of the Bible is too much for them.

Wednesday May 18, 2016
Command #36 - Be A Servant
Wednesday May 18, 2016
Wednesday May 18, 2016
From the elusive Command, Lose your life, we now encounter one of the most down to earth of all the Commands: Be a servant. No mystery exists here. We all know what it means to serve, to put someone else's need ahead of our own...the good deed, the kindness shown, the helping hand, the burden shared, the load lifted, the feet washed, the cup for the thirsty wayfarer. Opportunities for service are presented us every moment of every day.

Tuesday May 17, 2016
COA #25 - Respond With Patience
Tuesday May 17, 2016
Tuesday May 17, 2016
Our response to patience all depends on how we phrase the command.

Monday May 16, 2016
Command #35 - Lose Your Life
Monday May 16, 2016
Monday May 16, 2016
Most of Jesus' Commands are reasonably straightforward, easy enough to understand, uncomplicated, unambiguous. Easy to obey--no. Easy to understand--yes. It is not usually a question of being confused about what is required. Rather it is a question of how serious we are about wanting to obey.

Friday May 13, 2016
Command #34 - Deny Yourself
Friday May 13, 2016
Friday May 13, 2016
The great moral teacher interpretation of the life and impact of Jesus Christ is surely one of the most naive perspectives ever proposed for such an important historical figure. C.S. Lewis has memorably argued that anyone making the claims Jesus did must either be a lunatic, a madman, or what he claimed to be. It is not merely Jesus' claim to be one with God that is astonishing and revolutionary, however, so too is much of the rest of his teaching. Far from being a traditional "moralist," a great deal of what Jesus said turned conventional wisdom upside-down.

Thursday May 12, 2016
COA #24 - Walk in Peace
Thursday May 12, 2016
Thursday May 12, 2016
Peace is one of those evanescent felt singularities in life for which we hunger yet experience all too seldom.

Wednesday May 11, 2016
Command #33 - Be At Peace, Reconciled, and United With Others
Wednesday May 11, 2016
Wednesday May 11, 2016
The enormity of this Command is of such scope and magnitude that it is impossible to overstate. If Love is the first Command, this surely represents one of the most important dimensions of Love itself. Indeed, unity with our fellow man is one of Love's significant visible expressions. If we would "Be righteous," this is where it begins.

Tuesday May 10, 2016
COA #23 - Rejoice in All Circumstances, Especially in Your Trials
Tuesday May 10, 2016
Tuesday May 10, 2016
The secret to understanding the Bible is really quite simple. The formula for unlocking Genesis 1 is the same as that needed to penetrate the mysteries of Revelation 22...and everything in between. That powerful key is: Converting principle to command.

Friday May 06, 2016
Command #31 - Be Righteous
Friday May 06, 2016
Friday May 06, 2016
The Commands of Jesus seem to come in two broad categories: Those that are straightforward and relatively simple to obey...and those that are impossible to obey.

