Category: JOHN D. BARRY

  • WHEN THINGS DON’T GO AS PLANNED

    Connect The TestamentsExodus 33-34; John 6:1-14; Song of Solomon 4:9-13 I live in the world of projects. There are a few things I know for certain about them, aside from all requiring a budget and a schedule to have any hope of success. They will all take more time than I expect (at least 25…

  • THE SYSTEM

    Connect The TestamentsExodus 30-32; John 5:31-47; Song of Solomon 4:4-8 Religion is a tough subject. Jesus staunchly opposed religion for religion’s sake, yet He was a Law-abiding Jew. He recognized the value of worship, community, and discipleship, but not the value of religious constraints: religion can bind someone in tradition and be used for oppression.…

  • GOD’S WILL IT’S CONFUSING

    Connect The TestamentsExodus 26-27; John 5:1-15; Song of Solomon 3:6-11 It’s sometimes difficult to understand why God does what He does, or why He asks us to do certain things. God goes so far as to list precise materials and calculations in Exod 26 for the tabernacle—the portable temple the Hebrew people built for God…

  • IT’S STANDING BETWEEN YOU AND GOD

    Connect The TestamentsExodus 19-20; John 4:1-26; Song of Solomon 2:14-17 There is nothing more frustrating than being ordered around. Few people take to a drill sergeant. Although we like to cite the Ten Commandments (Exod 20) because they’re the norm, the rebellious part of our spirits has trouble with them. If we’re honest with ourselves…

  • BREAD FROM HEAVEN AND WATER FROM A ROCK

    Connect The TestamentsExodus 16-18; John 3:22-36; Song of Solomon 2:8-13 For many years, I said that I believed God would provide for me, but I’m not sure I actually did. Somewhere inside I was still convinced that I was on my own. It wasn’t until recently that I felt convicted about this, and God began…

  • WHY DOES GOD PUNISH PEOPLE?

    Connect The Testaments In regard to why a good God would punish people, I recently heard one homeless man wisely tell another, “You wouldn’t want to live in a world where God didn’t punish injustices and just freely forgave sin—without any request for someone to choose the salvation He offers back. Imagine a place where…

  • WHAT TYPE OF SAVIOR?

    Connect The TestamentsExodus 9:1-10:29; John 2:1-12; Song of Solomon 1:15-17 It’s tempting to operate life on our own terms and only call on God when we hit a crisis. If we’re not busy studying how God has worked in the past and relying on the work of the Spirit in our lives, we can easily…

  • WISDOM CAN QUICKLY BECOME FOLLY

    Connect The TestamentsExodus 7-8; John 1:35-51; Song of Solomon 1:8-14 What we need to hear and what we want to hear are rarely the same thing. Leaders who encourage honesty, allow for errors, and establish an environment of trust usually hear what they need to hear. A dictator, on the other hand, will never learn…

  • THE PROBLEM WITH POWER

    Connect The TestamentsExodus 4-6; John 1:19-34; Song of Solomon 1:5-7 Grasping for power is one of the easiest sins to fall into. At first it looks like ambition, then it looks like success, and then it quickly becomes about your success and your power. This can be costly—not just to you, but to all the…

  • GOD’S IDEAS MORE THAN GOOD

    Connect The Testaments It’s exciting to see ideas take shape and then become reality. Even more exciting, though, is when God’s ideas take form. The Bible shows us these events repeatedly. As the reader, we’re given glimpses into what God is really doing—events the characters are unaware of. Or we have a hint all along…