Author: Norm

THE STORY OF JESUS: 1 Chronicles 23-27 “Here is the list of the men who performed this service…” (1 Chronicles 25:1) If you are like me, you tend to skip the lists of names in the bible. Why would lists of names be inspired by God, how are they helpful or inspiring? And yet a list becomes important if…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 10:13-16 “The kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mark 10:14) Children have often been disregarded or discarded, used or abused in history. God’s heart breaks for such as these, and Jesus reveals God’s love for them. Creation under God-like Adam (the kingdom of God) was a safe place for children….

THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 10:1-12 “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law.” (Mark 10:5) There are times when keep a marriage vow can be difficult or impossible. If your partner does not keep their vow, or if they leave you for someone else. But there are also times when we…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 9:42-50 “And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out.” (Mark 9:47) Jesus’ words seem extreme – pluck it out, cut it off – but that is the point. Sin, like cancer, requires severe treatment – amputation, chemo or radiation. Jesus describes the hellish consequences of untreated sin… it burns….

THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 9:38-41 “Whoever is not against us is for us.” (Mark 9:40) As we follow Jesus, we have more allies than we realize. A person does not have to be “one of us” to be an ally. There are many ‘denominations’ of Christians, yet we are one in Christ. And even non-Christians can…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 54 “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” (Psalm 54:4) The background to this Psalm is 1 Samuel 26. David is on the run, and his own neighbours are telling Saul where he is. At one point, David has a chance to kill Saul, but he refuses. He…

THE STORY OF JESUS: 1 Chronicles 20-22 “Satan incited David to take a census of Israel.” (1 Chronicles 21:1) By taking the census, David was putting more confidence in his troops than in God. But who incited David to take the census, God or Satan? “The anger of the Lord burned against Israel, and he incited David against them,…

THE STORY OF JESUS: 1 Chronicles 17-19 “His throne will be established forever.” (1 Chronicles 17:13) When God sees all humans, He sees His much-loved, wayward children. God sees their sin, their shame, their misery and the their folly… and He loves them. God’s plan is to restore His children, but He has to work WITH them. Because God…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 9:33-37 “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, the servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) Among chickens, there is a pecking order… among humans too. We want to establish ourselves in a good place, to rise up in the ranks. There is something normal and healthy in this… God…

THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 9:30-32 “They did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him.” (Mark 9:32) It would have been intimidating to talk with Jesus. He was so wise, so good, so perceptive… and yet sometimes so confusing. What Jesus says about God’s messiah goes against what the Jews believed. Peter had…