Growing Deeper Into the Soil of God's Word to Bear Fruit For His Kingdom
The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends, so they might provide for his needs. (Acts 27:3) Paul is headed to Rome. He has appealed for trial before Caesar and has begun his long journey to the capital of the empire. It is... Continue Reading →
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. - Acts 16:25 Paul and Silas have found themselves in quite a conundrum. They spent the last several days being followed around by a young girl who had a spirit in her. She kept shouting about their status as servants... Continue Reading →
For Moses has been preached in every city since the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath. (Acts 15:21) Acts 15 begins with the church in conflict about entrance in the community. The members of the party of the Pharisees believed that the Jewish rite of circumcision should be required of... Continue Reading →
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 →
“Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” - John 12:15 The account of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem on what is now known as "Palm Sunday" is quite familiar to many. As familiar as it is, I'm not sure I noticed the "do not fear" portion before.... 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 →
"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 →
"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 →
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