Introduction I attended the National Conference on Jewish Law for several years. The participants were devout Jewish law professors, rabbis, judges, lawyers, and one non-Jew -- me. On Saturday, I was taking notes on one of the lectures. The man seated to my right nudged me with his elbow and snapped, “It’s Shabbat.” In other … Continue reading Law of Noah (Telestial), Moses (Terrestrial), and Jesus (Celestial)
Universal Pattern: 3 C's: Commandments, Choice, Consequences (3 C’s) “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt not eat of it: [nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given … Continue reading 7 Short Lessons from the Garden of Eden (Pt. 1)
"Faith on Friday" “[W]e have to be careful that love and empathy do not get interpreted as condoning and advocacy, or that orthodoxy and loyalty to principle not be interpreted as unkindness or disloyalty to people. As near as I can tell, Christ never once withheld His love from anyone, but He also never once said to … Continue reading Always Love the Sinner, but Never Condone the Sin – Jeffrey Holland (Great Quotes)
"Faith on Friday" “The Hebraic meanings of the word Israel is “let God prevail.” Thus, the very name of Israel refers to a person who is willing to let God prevail in his or her life. That concept stirs my soul! … “The question for each of us ... is the same. Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are you willing to … Continue reading “Let God Prevail” – Russell M. Nelson (Great Quotes)
"Sunday Sermon" Absolutely nothing, not even sin, can ever separate us from God's love. (Rom. 8:35-39) (See: Old Testament theme: "Hesed" and New Testament theme: "Agape") Heavenly Father will always love His children, no matter what. However, the concept that “God accepts me just the way I am,” can become an excuse. It can lead … Continue reading Satan’s Strategies: “God accepts me just the way I am.”
“Sunday Sermon” The "Temptations of Jesus" give great insights on confronting Satan and resisting sin. (Matthew 4: 1-11) Center your life in Christ and Follow the Savior’s Example Christ Resists Temptations The Savior “suffered temptations but gave no heed unto them” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:22). When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, the Lord … Continue reading Resisting Temptation and Overcoming Sin – Scriptures and Quotes
"Sunday Sermon" One of the greatest challenges in life is to keep things in proper balance. We must strive to balance “our compassion for others" with “our loyalty to the commandments.” We must always love the sinner, but we must never advocate sin. We Must Always Love the Sinner As disciples of Christ, we … Continue reading Love the Sinner, but Don’t Condone the Sin
Christmas Sermon -- Doctrinal Commentary BYU Religion Professor Robert Millet recalled That before leaving from Louisiana on his mission, he asked his LDS father, "Dad, what does it mean to be saved by grace?" He answered quickly, "We don't believe in that." "We don't?" I said. "Why not?" Without any hesitation he replied, "Because the … Continue reading Grace and Works
“Then one of them, which was a lawyer asked [Jesus] a question, tempting him, saying Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?" (v. 35) Significantly, the question was asked by a lawyer. Lawyers are experts in the law. They are masters of entrapping people through cross-examination. This lawyer was not asking Jesus a … Continue reading Christ’s Greatest Miracle – Silencing the Lawyers (Matthew 22:35-46)
