Category: CONNECT THE TESTAMENTS

  • YOUR INNER SELF

    Connect The TestamentsDeuteronomy 4:1-49; 2 Corinthians 1:17-24; Psalm 32:1-11 “Did I leave the burner on?” “Did I lock the door?” “I feel like I’m forgetting something.” Forgetfulness is a syndrome we all experience at one time or another. Many of our forgetful moments end up being minor inconveniences. But there is one thing we should never forget:…

  • THE FINAL SAY

    Connect The TestamentsDeuteronomy 2:1-3:29; 2 Corinthians 1:12-16; Psalm 31:10-24 Having the final say in an argument is more satisfying than I’d like to admit. By default, I’d like to be right, even if I have to be pedantic. I wish I could say this was limited to petty concerns. But on more than one occasion,…

  • MOVING ON

    Connect The TestamentsDeuteronomy 1:1-46; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11; Psalm 31:1-9 “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn now and move on” (Deut 1:6–7). We have a terrible tendency to stay in one place or keep doing one activity longer than we should. Our meetings run long, we constantly work overtime, or we overstay a…

  • GIFTS AND GRACE

    Connect The TestamentsNumbers 35:1-36:13; 1 Corinthians 16:1-24; Psalm 30:1-12 Yahweh spoke to Moses on the desert plains of Moab beyond the Jordan across Jericho, saying, ‘Command the children of Israel that they give to the Levites from the inheritance of their property cities to live in; and you will give to the Levites pastureland all…

  • TAUNTING DEATH

    Connect The TestamentsNumbers 33:50-34:29; 1 Corinthians 15:35-58; Psalm 29:1-11 My best friend’s mother, a dear family friend, died of Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS). Over the span of three years, the disease attacked her nerve cells, starting with her hands and feet and moving inward to her vital organs. Every time I visited her, she would…

  • PRAYER AND HOPE FOR THE ANXIOUS

    Connect The TestamentsNumbers 33:1-49; 1 Corinthians 15:12-34; Psalm 28:1-9 Anxiety, depression, and fear aren’t part of the Christian life—or the ideal Christian life, anyway. But for those who struggle with these emotions, this tidy concept isn’t helpful or true. What is helpful is hope and belief in the midst of tumultuous emotion. The writer of…

  • RISK: OVERSOLD AND UNDERPLAYED

    Connect The TestamentsNumbers 32:1-42; 1 Corinthians 14:26-15:11, Psalm 27:1-14 The fears of the psalmist are not our fears today, and the fact that they aren’t should bother us. The psalmist remarks, “Do not give me over to the desire of my enemies, because false witnesses have arisen against me, and each breathing out violence. Surely…

  • TONGUES, PROPHECY, AND THE THING WE CALL LOVE

    Connect The TestamentsNumbers 31:1-54; 1 Corinthians 14:1-25; Pslam 26:1-12 Nearly anything good can become unproductive if it’s abused or misused. Paul is all about embracing the side of spirituality that can seem a bit wacky to us today—gifts of tongues and prophecy, to name a few. But he is fully aware of the problems that…

  • GRACE AND FAVOR

    Connect The TestamentsNumbers 30:1-16; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13:13; Psalm 25:1-22 Usually when we seek someone’s goodwill, we emphasize our own winning traits or accomplishments. Our supervisor, significant other, or family members are barraged with a list of our actions in an attempt to get the other to respond in kind. Often this results in a tug-of-war…

  • THOUGHTLESS ICONOCLASM

    Connect The TestamentsNumbers 29:1-40; 1 Corinthians 11:17-12:11; Psalm 24:1-10 When we learn something new about life and faith, it’s tempting to use our knowledge and freedom to tear down religious constructs and artifices—exposing truth in a way that’s not helpful or edifying. If we’re honest, pushing boundaries and living edgy and unfettered gives us a…