God

My friend is a daredevil…to say the least. I had never seen him back down from anything. That’s why I was so surprised he wouldn’t climb the pole to the zipline platform. Granted, the platform was high and the climb precarious, but I never expected him to say, “I’m not climbing that pole!” No matter how much we encouraged and cajoled, his feet stayed planted on the ground. Here’s one thing I concluded from my friend’s refusal: Everybody has a “Pole of Fear.” You may be described as a risk taker, but there is something you won’t or can’t do because of your fear.

Let’s take a few days to consider Psalm 51, David’s prayer for forgiveness after his sin with Bathsheba. In this prayer, we find seven important steps to true repentance. Today we’ll cover the first three.

Today’s passage, the Shema (from the Hebrew word “hear”), is a confession of faith. It is recited every day by pious Jews and every Sabbath in the synagogues. We have been using these powerful verses as a parenting evaluation.

Today’s reading is called the Shema. Shema is the Hebrew word hear, the first word that begins this passage. This is the parenting assessment. The Shema is a confession of faith recited every day by pious Jews and every Sabbath in the synagogues.

Do you believe that every marriage is made in heaven? I do! God brings a man and woman together so they can do things they could never do alone. And it all started with Adam and Eve. 

Our passage today is an answer to a question ... actually, two questions. So let’s check them out.

When Jesus taught us how to talk to the Father, he instructed us to pray, “your kingdom come.” Why did Jesus tell us to include this in our prayers? For an explanation, let’s consider 1 Corinthians 15:24-25.

For those who follow hard after Christ, things are (or should be) different. It really is not about us. Really, it’s not. Our lives should be like a mirror—not absorbing but reflecting the glory of God.

The writer of Hebrews describes God as a “consuming fire.” What does he mean by that?