The Bible has a love/hate relationship with old and new. On the one hand, God’s people were to ask for the ancient paths and old ways (Jeremiah 6:16), and even Jesus said that the old wine was best (Luke 5:39). On the other hand, Paul taught that if anyone is in Christ he is a […]
I own some baseballs signed by Hall of Famers and a football signed by Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy. Under his name he wrote “Matthew 16:26,” the Scripture where Jesus says it does no good to gain the whole world if we forfeit our souls. My little collection of memorabilia pales in comparison with the […]
These questions coordinate with this week’s Study and Application. Use one or both of these questions to introduce the lesson: 1. Someone has wryly observed, “You can’t put toothpaste back in the tube.” What does that mean to you? 2. Think of a time when someone said, “Can we just wipe the slate clean?” or “Can […]
By Christine Graef Shame comes in different forms. A person is caught stealing money at work and is filled with shame. It may come as humiliation when we are criticized for a physical shortcoming or a mistake we made—even something as simple as dressing the wrong way for a party. From the first chapter to […]
By Peter Wickersham I fully deserved my shame. Like a filthy undershirt, I wore it next to my skin. And as tightly as it clung to me, I clung to it too. Shame was proof, if only to me, that I wasn’t a monster. If I was ashamed, it meant that I regretted what I […]
