Jesus is sleeping in a boat; the disciples are crossing the lake. A major strong whips up and the disciples are overwhelmed—remember that several of them were fishermen, so it must have been a bad one to scare them. In a panic, they wake up Jesus. He says, “You have little faith; why are you […]
Faith or Grace? Today’s passage: Luke 7:1–17 Focus verse: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof.” (Luke 7:6) A military leader, a centurion, wants Jesus to heal his dying servant, a valued attendant. However, the centurion doesn’t approach Jesus himself. Instead, he wants someone else to […]
Stop It Micah! The prophet Micah gives some strong words from God to his chosen people. Although Micah’s proclamation—his prophecy—should convict them, instead they take offense. At one point the people even tell him to stop talking—they say, “Stop it Micah”—as if his silence would keep God’s plans from happening. Micah’s sarcastic retort is that […]
So That You May Know Today’s passage: Luke 1:1–4 Focus verse: . . . so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:4) It’s easy to miss the first four verses in the book of Luke. In many Bibles, this passage carries the heading of “Introduction.” Most people skip introductions. I know. […]
Don’t Be Fooled by Fake Definitions Too many people who call themselves a Christian aren’t. Not really. For one reason or another, they grab on to the title. But they fall short of what it means. In truth, they’re nothing more than a cultural Christian. They’re Christian in name only. The word Christian can be […]
The People of Israel Ask Samuel To Intercede for Them Throughout the Old Testament, the Philistines show up as a recurring nemesis for God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel. The Bible mentions the Philistines 191 times in seventeen of the Old Testament’s books. In most of these cases the Philistines are doing something to […]
Today’s passage: Matthew 21:18–22 and Mark 11:12–14, 20–25 Focus verse: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21:22) The next morning, as Jesus and his troop return to Jerusalem, he’s hungry. Seeing a fig tree, he expects a tasty meal and searches for fruit. Though the tree has lots […]
The Simplicity of Jesus’s Salvation Message Seems Foolish and Offends Many It shouldn’t surprise us that the gospel is offensive, that the good news of Jesus offends people. Quoting God, the prophet Jeremiah writes that the word of the Lord is offensive to them (Jeremiah 6:10). Not only does this apply to the people in […]
We Must Take Care to Not Judge Others for Their Faith, Practices, or Beliefs Most Christians evaluate people by a set of criteria they use to judge their faith. It’s as if they have a set of Christian litmus tests to decide who are true adherents and who are heretics. Sometimes these Christian litmus tests […]
This Isn’t Another Cinderella Story I’ve always liked the story of Esther. She was a peasant girl who won a national beauty pageant and became queen. In my imagination, I’ve given this tale a Cinderella-like grandness, with Esther and the king, falling in love and living happily ever after. Alas, the story doesn’t mention love […]