THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 20:7-12 “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread.” (Acts 20:7) The first Jesus followers made it their regular practice to meet on Sundays. It was an obvious day to meet, since it was Jesus’s resurrection day. This was not a matter of the law, but a…
Author: Norm
Be an encourager!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 20:1-6 “He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people.” (Acts 20:2) In a sense, this is the mission we all share as Jesus followers. To speak words of encouragement to the people we meet. Our job is not to be liked, or to be funny, or to…
Relax, stay calm!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 19:32-41 “Since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.” (Acts 19:36) I like the reasoning of this non Jesus follower, we can learn from him. What do we do when our professor is mocking religious beliefs? What do we do when one of our children…
Led by His Spirit
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 143 “So my spirit grows faint within me.” (Psalm 143:4) With all that is going on in David’s life, his inner spirit is failing. He is desperate, weak, overwhelmed, dismayed… yet not defeated! He still knows where to find the strength, wisdom and direction he needs. “May your good Spirit lead me…
Trusting God to be there!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Hebrews 12-13 “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children.” (Hebrews 12:7) The recipients of this letter were facing increasing persecution. The author challenges them to change the way they think about this hardship. Think of it as God’s discipline, His pruning and perfecting of our faith. Can I think…
Seeing and seeking the Jesus dream!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Hebrews 11 “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) As a Jesus follower, I see in Him a vision of our ideal future. How He related to God, to people, and to world… this is how we were meant to be. This…
Religious violence?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 19:23-31 “They were furious and began shouting: ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’” (Acts 19:28) How do we respond when people belittle or dishonour what we believe? Do we feel threatened, do we become defensive, do we become negative or aggressive? If we truly think that what we believe is true, we…
The power of Jesus’s word!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 19:13-22 “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15) Jesus holds all authority over all creation, given to Him by God. The Spirit of God works with/for Jesus, fulfilling His will and purpose. Those who surrender to Jesus and His message are filled with His Spirit….
Kingdom handkerchiefs and aprons!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 19:8-12 “Arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 19:8) The kingdom of God… we hardly ever talk about it as christians. We talk about church, worship, being saved, programs, buildings, etc. But the heart of Paul’s message, and Jesus’ message, was the kingdom of God. “The kingdom of God has come…
Not me, but Christ in me!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 19:1-7 “On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 19:5) Paul asks what kind of baptism these believers received. Theirs was a baptism of repentance, not a baptism of faith in Jesus. The issue was not the baptism itself, but what the baptism was into. Like…