How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? (Romans 10:14) It might be argued that the most important thing about a person is what he or she does with and believes about Jesus. The early Church thought this was so important that ... [Continue Reading]
What Kind of Tree Are You? (Matthew 12:1-21; Mark 3; Luke 6)
Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. (Luke 6:44) Trees are very predictable. If you plant an orange tree, then you can expect juicy oranges to eventually grow from it. If you plant an apple tree, you can expect apples. Peach trees grow peaches. My guess is that you get the idea. What's really cool, ... [Continue Reading]
What Do You REALLY Want? (John 5)
When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6) Sometimes what we think we want isn't actually what we really want. The fact is, we're often content with life the way it is, and because it's "normal" we've become accustomed to it. It's only in the late hours of the night ... [Continue Reading]
How Far Will You Go? (Mark 2)
Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:4-5) How far are you willing to go for a friend? And do you believe that Jesus is the solution to all ... [Continue Reading]
Flashback: Gentle Jesus? (John 2-4)
To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” (John 2:16) I grew up with pictures like this of Jesus. Our old sanctuary had stained glass images of him with sheep or on the cross. Pictures in the hallway had children sitting on his lap. I don't remember dogs in the pictures as depicted above, but they probably ... [Continue Reading]
Tell Him to Go Away! (Matthew 4; Luke 4-5; John 1:15-51)
Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!” (Matthew 4:10a) Did you know that you can tell Satan to go away? In fact, that's the method that Jesus used to get rid of the Tempter on more than one occasion. The great news for people who are trusting in Jesus' death for the forgiveness of sins is that we're not simply forgiven of our sins, but the power of sin is also ... [Continue Reading]
Not Exactly Timid (Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 3)
But when [John the Baptist] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? (Matthew 3:7) There are times when it's important to timid in our response to others, and then there are times to speak the truth. What I find fascinating about John the Baptist is that ... [Continue Reading]
Acting Out of Fear (Matthew 2; Luke 2:39-52)
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. (Matthew 2:16) Fear causes us to be irrational. We've all known people who, because they were afraid, made stupid decisions. Perhaps ... [Continue Reading]
A Twisted Family History (Matthew 1; Luke 2:1-38)
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife... (Matthew 1:6b) Legacy matters, doesn't it? I love hearing stories of my grandparents who are no longer around... and stories of their parents and siblings. What's amazing about their stories is that they affect my own story. The legacy that someone else in your family leaves does have an impact on ... [Continue Reading]
A Nice Story (Luke 1; John 1:1-4)
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” (Luke 1:18) Sometimes it feels like things just aren't going to work out for me. Yes, I've heard about what God has done in the past for other people, but it seems unlikely that He'll show up in my situation. And yet, there's something about reading the story of ... [Continue Reading]
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