Life ultimately depends upon trusting God. Not that everyone agrees or lives that way, as we know. God gave life; all life is subject to God’s purposes. God is able…
Most Bible translations soften what Paul says in the opening line of Romans: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus” (1:1). That sounds okay. Jesus came to serve, and we like…
So, the Pharisees always manage to surprise me. I often wonder, had I been alive at the time, whether I would have been a Pharisee. I think I probably would…
Another Pharisee wants to hear more, see more, know more. That’s good. When anyone invites additional conversation, additional connection-building, let’s make the most of the opportunity. After all, when is…
“[F]ull of joy through the Holy Spirit”: let’s start there. The Holy Spirit brings the gift of joy, beloved. We want to be happy. Sometimes, we are. What we really…
It may not feel or seem as if much yields to the name of Jesus these days. It’s as if the name Jesus has sort of become an empty but…
“Not one of us” (9:49). I am not interested in hindering others, but I am interested in strengthening the church: healthy, vital, vibrant, whole. The church is strengthened when we…
As we find out elsewhere in the New Testament, not every Roman soldier was from Italy. The centurion—like a captain in the army, over around one hundred soldiers—the centurion may…
Oh, the disciples had seen miracles. The anticipation and excitement reach that point when, at the crest of the Mount of Olives, with Jerusalem and the Temple in full view—so…
So here is the sum of it. Jesus has been describing a way to live governed by God’s principles, life God’s way, a heart being filled with God. This happens…