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Proverbial But O’ the Week: Discernment
Every prudent man acts out of knowledge, BUT a fool exposes his folly. (Proverbs 13:16) Wisdom rarely needs to announce itself. It listens, learns, considers what is true, and then chooses its response accordingly. But foolishness has a way of rushing into the room before understanding arrives—speaking too quickly, reacting too strongly, assuming too much, and unintentionally revealing what… Continue reading
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The Pivot: But If Your Heart Turns Away …
Every day places us again at a quiet crossroad. Most of the choices before us won’t feel nearly as dramatic as “life and prosperity, death and destruction.” They arrive disguised as ordinary moments—what we give our attention to, what we allow to shape our thinking, how we respond to someone who frustrates us, whether we nurture resentment… Continue reading
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God Has Spoken
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…”—Hebrews 1:1–2 Sometimes the first few words tell you almost everything you need to know. Hebrews begins with two: “God spoke.” No lengthy argument for His existence. No… Continue reading
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Dr. Buttersworth Goes to Conjunction Junction
There was a time when your good doctor knew Greek. Not “I recognize a few Greek letters from fraternity houses” Greek. Actual Greek. Koine Greek. New Testament Greek. There was a time, many years and several million dead brain cells ago, when I could open a Greek New Testament and read the thing with reasonable fluency. There… Continue reading
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When God Comes Near
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.”—John 4:13–14 She must have known something about distance. She was a Samaritan, and centuries of religious and cultural hostility separated Samaritans from Jews. Even where worship was concerned, there was distance. Her people worshiped on Mount Gerizim.… Continue reading
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Here, But There
An excerpt from Chapter 8. Here, But There Look back through Matthew chapter 8. Take note of the beginning of each section: “When He came down the mountainside…” “When He entered Capernaum…”“When Jesus came into Peter’s house…” “When Jesus saw the crowd…” “Then He got into the boat…” “When He arrived at the other side…” Notice how much movement there… Continue reading
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But Seek First His Kingdom
An excerpt from Chapter 6 An excerpt from Chapter 6 Giving, Praying and Fasting We all like to be noticed. To have someone recognize your efforts feels good. As the Sermon on the Mount continues, Jesus turns his attention to three acts of devotion common among faithful God followers—giving, praying and fasting. He warned that,… Continue reading
Darin Michael Shaw
In addition to being the world’s foremost expert on the conjunction but, author and freelance writer Darin Michael Shaw (he/him/his) identifies as a post-evangelical, free-range Jesus Freak, taking Jesus seriously when he says, “Follow me,” while inviting others to come and see for yourself.
Big Buts of the Bible 