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Text of the page (random words):
lly speaking for a reason to show mercy abraham steps forward with a bold trembling question will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked it s a question people still ask in different forms what kind of loving god judges but that question has a twin what kind of loving god would allow evil to go unanswered forever justice demands judgment the astounding thing is not that god judges but that he is so patient in doing so abraham presses in 50 righteous 45 30 20 10 each time god says he will spare the many for the sake of the few it s as if god is letting abraham plunge the depths of his mercy this raises a deeper question is there anyone truly righteous who can stand in the gap for the rest of us christians believe the answer is yes jesus christ does not merely intercede he offers himself as the righteous one whose life death and resurrection provide a definite way of escape from judgment the delay of judgment in our world is not the absence of justice it is the gracious space god gives for people to respond to his mercy genesis 18 leaves us standing at the edge of a city marked for judgment but not yet destroyed in many ways that is where our world stands today justice will come but mercy is offered now and christ still stretches out his scarred hand pulling people from destruction and planting their feet on solid ground share this share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on x opens in new window x share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on whatsapp opens in new window whatsapp email a link to a friend opens in new window email print opens in new window print like this like loading is anything too wonderful for god july 8 2026 june 24 2026 enactedword leave a comment genesis 18 1 15 every once in a while a passage of scripture meets us right where our hopes have given up genesis 18 1 15 is one of those passages abraham and sarah have lived for decades with a promise from god a promise not just of a child but of a whole covenant future a people a land and blessing for the world but without a son none of it can move forward this isn t a generic story about infertility it s about whether god will keep the very promise on which his redemptive plan rests the scene breaks into the ordinary abraham is resting in the heat of the day when three mysterious visitors appear genesis tells us that the lord appeared yet abraham sees three men however we understand these visitors the point is clear god has drawn near and abraham responds like a man who has been shaped by years of god s gracious invitations he runs he bows he prepares a feast far beyond what he offers in words his hospitality mirrors the hospitality god has shown him but the heart of the story lies inside the tent where sarah listens as one of the visitors says about this time next year sarah shall have a son she laughs not the laugh of mockery but the protective laugh of someone who has been disappointed before she knows her age she knows the long ache of waiting and she knows how painful it is to hope again many of us know that laugh we hear promises of forgiveness renewal or resurrection and something in us whispers don t get your hopes up sometimes skepticism is just a shield then comes the question that echoes down through the generations is anything too wonderful for the lord it s not a rebuke it s a wake up call the god who formed galaxies who judged the world in noah s day who scattered human pride at babel this god is not limited by our timelines or our tired expectations and in the fullness of time he would go even further than sarah s miracle bringing life into the world through a virgin s womb at the end of the passage god insists that sarah remember her laughter not to shame her but so that when the promised child arrives she will see just how far god has gone to keep his word open a bible and read genesis 18 1 15 for yourself let that question linger is anything too wonderful for the lord share this share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on x opens in new window x share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on whatsapp opens in new window whatsapp email a link to a friend opens in new window email print opens in new window print like this like loading the hope of the risen king a call to action june 24 2026 june 9 2026 enactedword leave a comment matthew 28 the story christians tell at is not presented as myth or metaphor it is rooted in real people real places and real events and what you do with this story will shape your hope matthew 28 gives us a simple but life altering message your risen king commissions you to participate in the spread of his righteous reign by making disciples the chapter opens with two women mary magdalene and the other mary visiting jesus tomb at dawn they came not merely to look but as matthew s greek suggests to ponder they were grieving confused and trying to make sense of what had happened then the ground shook the stone rolled away and an angel announced he is not here for he has risen as he said those last three words matter as he said suddenly what once seemed impossible now made sense the women heard saw and believed their response is instructive first they believed the resurrection is the foundation of christian hope because it confirms that jesus was everything he claimed to be if the hardest promise he ever made came true then the rest of his words deserve our serious consideration as well many of us carry griefs burdens and unanswered questions the resurrection does not erase every struggle but it does promise forgiveness new life and a hope stronger than death second the women worshipped we all worship something whether success acceptance relationships control or something else but these things cannot bear the weight of our deepest fears or longings the women discovered that the one who seemed to disappoint them in death had actually defeated everything they feared most about life third they obeyed with joy they ran to tell others but not everyone responded this way the soldiers who witnessed the same events chose denial fear drove them to protect themselves rather than face the truth that tension remains today the resurrection is strange unsettling and unlike anything the world has seen yet the historical evidence still demands honest consideration matthew ends with a call to action the risen jesus holding all authority in heaven and on earth sends his followers into the world to make disciples helping people repent of their old way of life learn his new way of life and grow in faith and discover hope this mission is not for experts or clergy alone it is a way of life for anyone who trusts him so how will you respond believe worship and join in spreading the hope of the risen king share this share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on x opens in new window x share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on whatsapp opens in new window whatsapp email a link to a friend opens in new window email print opens in new window print like this like loading foundations matterfoundations matter june 10 2026 june 3 2026 enactedword leave a comment matthew 7 the leaning tower of pisa is famous not because it stands tall but because it leans engineers have spent centuries trying to slow its tilt yet the tower still leans and always will foundations matter what something rests on determines its future the same is true of life in the sermon on the mount jesus isn t offering inspirational advice he is calling us to build our lives on him and according to jesus that choice is a matter of life and death in matthew 7 jesus begins by warning us about the danger of self righteous judgment judge not doesn t mean abandoning moral discernment it means refusing to apply to others a standard we won t first apply to ourselves his image is unforgettable a person with a plank in their eye trying to remove a speck from someone else s hypocrisy blinds before we try to help others jesus insists we let him examine us first but examination alone isn t enough jesus also calls for wisdom some people welcome truth others openly resist it jesus describes the gospel as a precious pearl something to be shared boldly but also wisely that s what jesus means when instructs not to throw pearls before pigs and because seeing ourselves and others clearly is hard jesus urges us to ask our heavenly father for help god is not stingy he has a giving heart if a good father knows how to give his child good gifts how much more does our father in heaven know how to gives his children what they need especially wisdom for the relationships and decisions that shape daily life jesus summarizes his teaching with what many call the golden rule whatever you wish that others would do to you do also to them people resonate with this not because it is sentimental but because it reflects the heart of the god who made us in his image if you ever found yourself nodding in agreement as this teaching it s worth asking why perhaps it s because the author of life has opened up the secrets of a life well lived then jesus presses the question home there are two paths he says a wide one that is easy and popular and a narrow one that is harder and less traveled only one leads to life the other to destruction appearances deceive foundations matter jesus ends with a picture of two houses one built on rock the other on sand storms come to both only one stands the difference is not the weather but the foundation jesus invites us to something deeper than receive these words as mere good advice to add to our life he wants us to hear his words trust him and build our lives on the only foundation that lasts which is him share this share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on x opens in new window x share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on whatsapp opens in new window whatsapp email a link to a friend opens in new window email print opens in new window print like this like loading the freedom of seeking the kingdom of god may 27 2026 may 13 2026 enactedword 1 comment matthew 6 19 34 why did you get out of bed this morning what s your reason for living when your mind goes quiet where do your thoughts drift what feels so essential that losing it would undo you our answers reveal the true center of our lives and jesus tells us that when the center is wrong the heart becomes restless and anxious but when the center is right there is this wholeness that nothing in this world can take away in matthew 6 19 34 jesus gives us a simple but searching truth freedom is found in belonging to a benevolent king who has already cared for all our tomorrows jesus speaks about our eyes the eye is the lamp of the body he says this metaphor may not be one we use today but back then the eye was thought of as the window of the heart when our vision is clear by fixed on god we see the world as it truly is but when our vision is clouded by fear comparison or the constant noise of our age everything feels darker than it really is we live in a culture where every screen movie show or reel is trying to shape what we love so the question becomes unavoidable what am i letting shape me many of us know the difference a moment of clarity can make a psalm read at the right time a hymn sung on a hard morning a quiet prayer whispered when the world feels loud when god becomes the object of our gaze even our darkest moments lose their power to imprison us jesus later turns to the mind where our loyalties and anxieties collide do not be anxious about your life he says this not because life is easy but because god is faithful jesus invites us to look at birds and flowers ordinary things we pass every day in tioga county and see in them the steady care of a father who provides if he tends to them how much more to us anxiety loosens its grip when we remember the cross there god gave his greatest treasure his son to secure our future with him if christ has carried our greatest burden he can carry all off our tomorrow s too what if your anxiety comes from a wavering confidence in god s goodness what if you ve been serving the wrong master we all serve someone or something jesus is a different kind of king his kingdom actually sets you free share this share on facebook opens in new window facebook share on x opens in new window x share on pinterest opens in new window pinterest share on whatsapp opens in new window whatsapp email a link to a friend opens in new window email print opens in new window print like this like loading how the god s law makes us whole again may 13 2026 april 29 2026 enactedword leave a comment matthew 5 17 48 have you ever wondered how the old testament law fits into following jesus some say the law has nothing to do with following christ today others insist it has almost everything to do with it these debates aren t new even in jesus own day people wanted to know where he stood and perhaps nowhere does he speak more clearly than in one humbling sentence be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect matthew 5 48 at first hearing that line can push us into familiar camps either the law is nothing or the law is everything but jesus is going deeper he s not lowering the bar and he s not simply repeating what others taught he s revealing the law s true purpose jesus begins a block of teaching on the old testament matthew 5 17 48 by saying do not think that i have come to abolish the law or the prophets he s emphatic god s commands were never harsh rules the son came to undo if you want to know the heart of god look at his laws and if you ve ever fallen in love with the way jesus lived you ve actually fallen in love with a life lived perfectly in relation to god s law but jesus also warns that law keeping alone isn t enough the most meticulous rule followers of his day still missed the mark because their obedience was self exalting rather than god glorifying you can make the law everything and in doing so miss god entirely so jesus takes the law deeper down to the heart consider just one example you have heard that it was said you shall not murder but i say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment matthew 21 26 many of us can say we ve never murdered but who can say they ve never been angry jesus isn t tightening the screws he s showing that the law was always meant to shape not just our actions but our attitudes and reflexes toward one another or take his teaching on enemies loving those who love us is easy but jesus says love your enemies matthew 5 44 you can t fight fire with fire responding to hate with more hate only burns the world down further jesus calls us to break the cycle why because this is how god treats us the sun rises and rain falls on the just and unjust alike matthew 5 45 jesus is calling us back to the beautiful life we were created for and that brings us again to his final words you therefore must be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect not ...