Growing Deeper Into the Soil of God's Word to Bear Fruit For His Kingdom
But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." (Acts 9:15-16) Jesus never said it would be easy to follow him. He said... Continue Reading →
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was... Continue Reading →
Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stayed outside the tomb crying. (John 20:10-11a) There was very little celebration that first Easter morning. As Christians around the globe prepare to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus in a few days time, I was struck by the contrast with that first Easter morning. We... Continue Reading →
"Jesus wept" John 11:35 In English, this is the shortest verse in the Bible. I remember this because, like many of my friends in Sunday School, we would cite this verse any time we were asked if we had any verses in the bible memorized (I won my share of Sunshine Dollars from this one).... Continue Reading →
I'm usually one of the last people to join in on a trend. Sometimes I won't watch or read something simply because everyone else is doing it. I didn't watch Titanic until 2005. I haven't seen the new Les Miserables movie. I still haven't watched Frozen. Does this make me a little snobbish? Maybe. Do I miss... Continue Reading →
"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam." (This word means Sent). John 9:7 The ninth chapter of John tells the story of a healing and its aftermath. Jesus is traveling with his disciples when they come upon a man who has been blind from birth. The disciples inquire whether there is some... Continue Reading →
"Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 We have very few rules for our cat, Julian. She is not allowed on the kitchen counter or the dining room table. She is not allowed behind the television or the computer. That's... Continue Reading →
"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" John 4:29 John 4 is a story of transformation. An unnamed Samaritan woman encounters Jesus at Jacob's well in Sychar, Samaria. He asks her for a drink, which surprises her. A Jew would become unclean if he drank from... Continue Reading →
That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) Going Creedal I grew up in a wonderful church that was self-consciously ‘non-creedal.’ No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible. This was the church where I... Continue Reading →
In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth: no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." John 3:3 In the late 90s in America, it seemed like almost every week we were getting sent another free disc from AOL (an internet service provider). Try AOL 6.0 - 500 hours... Continue Reading →
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