Month: May 2020
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Believing Works
John 14:6–21; John 21:24–25 (read online ⧉) Often, we operate as if following Jesus is just the thing to do. If you were raised in the church, as a (at least a theoretical) Christian, the “Jesus” and “Christian” thing “sort of” happens. It is a “sort of, as our whole life should be each day…
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Glorious
Psalm 109:1–7; John 5:41–47; Acts 18:9–18 (read online ⧉) Tar and feathering is a few hundred years old. They did not really use tar (usually), but other sticky substances. It also was not just feathers, but other garbage that people tossed at those being cast out. Today we use this phrase to convey a sense…
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Waiting in Trust
John 16:5–15; Acts 1:1–8 (read online ⧉) Wait for the promise to be fulfilled. Jesus directed his disciples to wait. They couldn’t even wait when Jesus was with them after the Resurrection. “Hey, Jesus, are we going to take over the world, now?” Of course, they really didn’t say that. Not even close. However, restoring…
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Handling Truth
Psalm 110; Matthew 22:41–46; John 1:1–18 (read online ⧉) John calls Jesus the Word. In his phrasing, it wasn’t just any word or words. Jesus was (is) the actual physical embodiment of God’s words. It’s…strange. It’s…incomprehensible. It’s…impossible. It’s…faith. When Jesus speaks, we’re to listen. That can sometimes be hard. In fact, a lot of people…
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It’s Pretty Simple
Psalm 138; Mark 1:14–16; John 16:5–11 (read online ⧉) Some of you know just how simple our faith really is. On the other hand, within its simplicity is great complexity. The tension within that “entertains” theologians, and can drive the rest of us a little crazy. Part of the complexity is not that our faith…
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God of Sight
Numbers 24:2–9; Matthew 6:19–24; Ephesians 1:15–20 (read online ⧉) Eyes are fascinating organs (sounds odd, doesn’t it?). Our eyes, when functioning, can see things near and far. They see colors. They can even see heat waves (under certain conditions). Other creatures have interesting eyes, too. Predators and prey have different eyes depending on need. Insects…
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Worship This
Acts 17:22–31; 1 Peter 3:13–4:6 (read online ⧉) Worship. We view this as a core function of what we are to do as Christians. We worship the one true God, who is mysteriously Three-in-One. In some respects, and more practically, worship is acting in a reverential state toward something greater than the self. If analyzed…
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Barrier Breaker
Luke 16:19–31; Acts 16:1–5; 1 Corinthians 9:16–23 (read online ⧉) One of the more interesting things that is occurring in this event called COVID-19 and its physical distancing are the conversations that are going along with it. There are plenty of political and health conversations (neither necessarily with all the facts or research, and this…