Learn More about Moses’s Sister Miriam is the older sister of Moses; she’s also the sister of Aaron, but we don’t know which one is older. At the time Moses is born, there’s a degree to kill all baby boys. Moses’s mom hides him as long as she can, then she puts him in a […]
To Forgive and to Heal Today’s passage: Luke 5:12–39 Focus verse:“Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’?” (Luke 5:23) Jesus specializes in doing the unexpected. This story is no exception. It seems Jesus will teach people anyplace he can, anywhere people gather. This time he’s teaching […]
May We Live Lives that Reflect Jesus Do we live our lives in such a way for Jesus that people are astonished with us? In the post “Are We Astonished with Jesus?” we looked at the gospel accounts that talked about all the amazing things Jesus did and how the people were astonished by him. […]
Jesus’s First Miracles Today’s passage: Luke 4:31–44 Focus verse:And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area. (Luke 4:37) After Jesus leaves Nazareth unharmed, he heads to Capernaum, another town in Galilee. At this point in Luke’s account, Jesus hasn’t performed any miracles. That’s about to change. In the synagogue Jesus encounters a demon-possessed […]
Don’t Let Familiarity Produce Complacency In the Bible, the gospel writers often say that the people were astonished with Jesus. But how much does Jesus astonish us today? Astonish means to be filled with sudden wonder or amazement. Does Jesus fill us with sudden wonder? When we think of Jesus, are we amazed at who […]
A Lesson in Humility The Bible includes the story of Naaman, an Aramean army commander, who has leprosy (at the time, a contagious skin disease). His Jewish servant girl suggests that he go and see Elisha, in Israel, to be healed. Naaman eagerly goes, but feels slighted by Elisha, who doesn’t even bother to greet […]
God Uses His People to Heal the Hurting Elisha dies, but his influence lives on. Yes, Elisha continues to teach us today, thousands of years after his death, through the words recorded about him in the Bible. However, he also has a practical effect on someone postmortem. It’s one example of God’s amazing healing power […]
Several months later we have a chance for a return visit to this same church. Again, we’ll attend church with our friends and spend the afternoon together sharing our lives and faith. I expect the service will be led by the Holy Spirit. I look forward to both, though the time with friends outshines the […]
Azariah the Son of Oded Azariah, son of Oded, comes to Asa, King of Judah. The prophet tells the king, “If you see God, you’ll find him. If you walk away from him, he’ll walk away from you” (2 Chronicles 15:2). That is, to seek God first. King Asa takes the prophet’s warning seriously and […]
Leviticus Warns Against Everything Unclean, but Jesus Has a Different Response I’ve never met anyone who likes the book of Leviticus, and many admit to skimming it when it comes up in their Bible reading plan, yet a thoughtful read of this often-tedious book reveals startling insights. Today’s section talks about the unclean: unclean people, […]