SCRIPTURE: Luke 20 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: ‘John’s baptism–was it from heaven, or from men?’ They discussed it among themselves and said, ‘If we say, From heaven, he will ask, Why didn’t you believe him? But if we say, From men, all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet. So they answered,…
Author: Norm
now that’s a miracle!!!
SCRIPTURE: Luke 19 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be a house of prayer ; but you have made it a den of robbers.’ [Luke 19:46] Again and again the Lord stresses WHY we are blessed. God lives among us (symbolized by the temple) and blesses us so that we can lead…
one thing?
Hmm, what “one thing” would Jesus challenge me to give up?
do not give up
SCRIPTURE: Luke 18 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up… And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? [Luke 18:1,7] Pray, and not give up. ‘Lord, I…
oh my…
how we view God
Obviously there is no one word that can capture how God is. But I do wonder sometimes whether our dominant thought about God is helpful or harmful – to us and to others. Do we primarily think of God as mad or sad… or joy-filled? This is not an ‘either/or’ choice, but a question of…
in me… through me…
SCRIPTURE: Luke 17 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you. [Luke 17:20-21] What is the kingdom of…
my kinda church?
community of brokenness
I recently read a quote about “community” and its impact on us. This relates to my struggle with ‘church’, but in a positive way. This quote shows how community can function positively. It seems to me this is a clue for when ‘church’ (or better, Jesus community) is working well: “Living in community I discovered…
stewards of blessing
SCRIPTURE: Luke 16 OBSERVATION/APPLICATION: I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. [Luke 16:9] At first it seems that Jesus is commending dishonesty. But Jesus is showing that “people of this world” are more serious about succeeding in a worldly sense…