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But God Intended It For Good
There’s nothing like being the youngest in a large family. I speak from experience. My older siblings often made sport of picking on me. They never sold me to a band of traveling gypsies—but that’s only because no bands of traveling gypsies happened through our neighborhood. Joseph’s brothers did. And it wasn’t a joking matter.… Continue reading
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Proverbial But O’ The Week: Wisdom
My son, do not forget my teaching, BUT keep my commands in your heart. (Prov. 3:1) We all forget things from time to time—keys, passwords, why we walked into a room—but God’s wisdom is worth holding onto. Continue reading
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The Return
For a long time, this page has been quiet. Truthfully, it had run its course. Years ago, I created Big Buts of the Bible as a companion to a book I wrote called Big Buts of the Bible: A Revealing Look at Jesus Christ. At the time, I was a pastor writing primarily for youth, young… Continue reading
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But You Were Washed
This is surely one of the bigger buts in the Bible for the context in which it appears. Check out 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. The context begins, Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God? It is a rhetorical question. Of course you know this! In case you didn’t, a whole list… Continue reading
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Attention Weary Souls: A Comforting But
From the Heidelberg Catechism: Q: What is your only comfort in life and in death? A: That I am not my own, BUT belong, body and soul, in life and in death–to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. That’s a big catechismal but, I tell you. Comfort in life and death (or if you prefer, in this life… Continue reading
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But God is the Strength of My Heart
This passage is ‘chock full o’ buts.’ In Psalm 73 the psalmist begins with the assertion that God is good to Israel. Well, of course he would say that; he’s Asaph, chief songwriter and songleader for King David’s choirs. He couldn’t very well have begun, “Um… God is… yeah, well… whatever.” The song begins proclaiming God… Continue reading
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Not Performance, But Presence
An Excerpt from Chapter 7 ~ The Sermon On The Mount Read Matthew 7:21–29 There is something sobering about the way Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount. After speaking about prayer, forgiveness, worry, judgment, generosity, integrity, and trust, He paints a picture of deeply religious people standing before Him saying, “Lord, Lord, look at… 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.
