commands – Page 5 – 300 words a day

Serious business, relationship is.

After laying out the process of caring for people who have not done what he says, Jesus gives the implication: “Whatever you bind on earth is bound in heaven.” There is a connection between here and there, between what we say and what God does. If we say, “you aren’t living right,” God says, “you […]

by Jon Swanson

telling it to the church

If you get miffed at your church today, there is another one down the street you can visit tomorrow. You don’t even have to go down the street. You can turn to your computer and participate in a church online. I am not against options. I have myself moved from one church to another more […]

by Jon Swanson

growing resistance

Most church services that people attended over the weekend did not include a public rebuke. I’m sure there were many private rebukes, in which one person accused another (not in the conversation) of dressing inappropriately, of taking the wrong seat in the sanctuary, of not watching children while they ran on the platform after the […]

by Jon Swanson

looking back – July 27-31

Monday – Helping each other grow For the next few days we will look at what Jesus says in Matthew 18:15-20 about sin and relationship and conversation and restoration. It’s a hard topic. It hurts to talk to other people about sin, both theirs and ours. However, our calling as followers is to follow better, […]

by Jon Swanson

to the next level

It looks like Jesus is calling for reinforcements. Not for himself. For you. He is talking about what to do when you see someone sinning, someone doing something that God has indicated not to do. (That’s highlighted as a reminder that I don’t get to decide what counts as a sin.) After talking with a […]