Tag Archives: discipleship

Alive!

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Don Merritt

Ephesians 2:1-10 Beginning here in chapter two, Paul reminds us of how we have been made alive in Christ. It’s a funny thing, but I nearly added the word “again” to that sentence, but Paul’s point is not that we … Continue reading →

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Prayer, Power and Potential

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Don Merritt

Ephesians 1:15-23 Paul continues his opening of this letter by moving on from the glorious things he has been saying about our redemption into giving thanks for it. Yet as we continue reading this section, I’m sure that you, like … Continue reading →

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A Guarantee

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Don Merritt

 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for … Continue reading →

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Off to a Fast Start

Posted on November 4, 2016 by Don Merritt

To a large degree, chapter one is an introduction to the letter. In the first two verses, Paul identifies himself and addresses his recipients in his usual style, and then he jumps into his introduction beginning in verse 3. These … Continue reading →

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Concluding Thoughts on Ecclesiastes

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Don Merritt

Reflecting upon the end of the matter as Solomon stated it, life under the sun now is about what it was at the time Solomon wrote his book: Meaningless! When our time on earth is completed, we will die and … Continue reading →

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The End of the Matter

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Don Merritt

Ecclesiastes 11:7-12:14 I thought that I would cover the end of the matter from two points of view; first from Solomon’s and then from the view of a Christian. Since this is fairly obvious, I hope that you’ll read the … Continue reading →

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We Do Not Know When Good Things Will Happen

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Don Merritt

In the last passage, we saw that evil can come upon us at any time; that’s just the way it is. In this section, we will see that good can come upon us as well, and that we must not … Continue reading →

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We Do Not Know What Evil may Befall Us

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Don Merritt

Ecclesiastes 10:16-11:2 In this section, the Teacher continues with his elaboration of life’s uncertainties under the sun. Here, it would appear that he is talking about those who rule the nation; not all rulers are wise! The first verse in … Continue reading →

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No One Knows the Future

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Don Merritt

Ecclesiastes 9:13-10:15 In this section, the Teacher develops the idea that none of us knows our futures under the sun. He does this in four subsections, beginning with 9:13-10:1. Here, the Teacher tells a fictional story reminiscent of 2 Samuel … Continue reading →

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There is Only One Certainty

Posted on November 1, 2016 by Don Merritt

Ecclesiastes 9:1-12 Our most excellent adventure now comes to the Teacher’s second conclusion: There is only one thing in this life that is certain. That certainty is simply this: It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do in … Continue reading →

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