The poor and us as believers

https://odb.org/2025/07/17/loving-jesus-most Deuteronomy 15:1–11 (NIV): 15 At the end of every seven years, you must cancel debts. 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people because the LORD’s time for cancelling debtsContinue reading “The poor and us as believers”

Be transformed by the renewing of our minds

https://odb.org/2025/07/16/habits-and-the-holy-spirit Romans 12:1–3 (NIV): 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then,Continue reading “Be transformed by the renewing of our minds”

Our own broken cisterns

https://odb.org/2025/07/14/digging-for-meaning Jeremiah 2:13 – “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. The background to Jeremiah 2 is that the Israelites had forsaken God and worshipped the prevalent dieties of the lands surrounding Canaan notwithstanding YahwehContinue reading “Our own broken cisterns”

Life in Christ

https://odb.org/2025/07/11/life-in-christ Amos 5:4-6: 4 This is what the Lord says to Israel: “Seek me and live; 5 do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba. For Gilgal, will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing.” 6 Seek the Lord and live, or he will sweepContinue reading “Life in Christ”

Do not quench the Spirit

https://odb.org/2025/07/09/panic-in-a-cave 1 Thessalonians 5:16–24 (NIV): 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not treat prophecies with contempt 21 but test them all; hold on to what is good, 22 reject every kind of evil.23 May God himself, the God ofContinue reading “Do not quench the Spirit”

A diligent worker for Christ

https://odb.org/2025/07/07/growing-up-in-god 2 Timothy 2:14–16 (NIV): 14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarrelling about words; it is of no value and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handlesContinue reading “A diligent worker for Christ”

The treasure of Jesus Christ

https://odb.org/2025/07/04/the-treasure-christ-offers 1 John 5:6–13 (NIV): 6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; andContinue reading “The treasure of Jesus Christ”

From glory to glory

https://odb.org/2025/07/02/from-glory-to-glory 2 Corinthians 3:7–18 (NIV): 7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was, 8 will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9 IfContinue reading “From glory to glory”

Showing love through prayer

https://odb.org/2025/07/01/loving-others-through-prayer 1 Samuel 12:19–25 (NIV): 19 The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.” 20 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yetContinue reading “Showing love through prayer”