THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 26:6-13 “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” (Matthew 26:11) What moved this sinful woman to make this huge sacrifice for Jesus? For the first time in her life, someone loved her as a person, not just as an object of desire. Her sacrifice…
Author: Norm
God’s agenda and ours
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 26:1-5 “They schemed to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him.” (Matthew 26:4) Here we have an anticipation of what is to come, from two different perspectives. Jesus has a sense of destiny, what He must do to maximize God’s purpose. The religious leaders have a sense of selfishness, what they must do…
Free samples!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 34 “Taste and see that the Lord is good!” (Psalm 34:8) Life in this world is hard because of sin and suffering. David’s life was not easy, and yet he somehow found a way to hope, to rejoice. Whenever things went sour, he reminded himself of the sweetness of God. Try it,…
Pardon me, my Lord!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Judges 4-6 “Pardon me, my lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us?” (Judges 6:13) Good question Gideon, if God is with us, then why so much suffering? The bigger story of Judges shows that God is with them, but cannot support them. How can God…
This is a test!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Judges 1-3 “I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord.” (Judges 2:22) God wants us to enjoy life to the full, but the poison of sin undermines that life. To establish a kingdom of hope, God’s people need to take a firm stand…
A heart that cares for Jesus!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 25:31-46 “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) Question, will we be saved or condemned by what we do (or don’t do)? Jesus is not saying that good deeds will save us, or bad deeds condemn us. But…
Blessings multiplied!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 25:14-30 “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21) I like how the NIRV refers to monetary amounts, $10000, $4000, $2000. What would I do with $2000 (or in today’s terms, more like $2,000,000)? Do I appreciate the value of the blessings I have received? My money, education, freedom, abilities, opportunities, time,…
Ready or not!!!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 25:1-13 “Five of them were foolish and five were wise.” (Matthew 25:2) Did you notice that ALL of them were waiting for the bridegroom? In other words, these are ‘believers’ or ‘christians’ or ‘church members’. This story is about wise and foolish disciples, those who are ready, and those who are not….
Fasten your seat belts!
FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS This week someone asked me ‘where I see the Christian Reformed Church in ten years’ Honestly, what came to mind were these words, ‘FASTEN YOUR SEAT BELTS!’ I believe we are in for some turbulent times in the next ten years. We should not be surprised. Our Captain warned us: “In…
Good workers?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Matthew 24:45-51 “It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.” (Matthew 24:46) What happens at your work when the boss is away (or your class when the teacher leaves)? How do people behave when the police are not around? This is why our world is…