SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:10-12 I used to think that Jesus told stories to keep close-minded people from understanding. It seems that way from v.12, and how it uses Isaiah 6:9-10. But now I am realizing that instead of keeping people from understanding, stories are actually more effective at penetrating closed minds. You can’t argue a person out of…
Maybe I should write a song!
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 45 When a king in ancient Israel celebrated a special event, the royal choral society would write and sing a song for the event (see also Song of Songs). This psalm was written for a royal wedding (and remember Solomon had 700 wives, not to mention 300 concubines, 1 Kings 11:3). This ‘poem for the king’ celebrates…
1 Kings 7-11
SCRIPTURE: 1 Kings 7-11 What do you sense the Lord saying to you? PRAYER
Embracing a productive kingdom life!
SCRIPTURE: Mark 4:1-9 God has a dream for this world, and He is planting the seeds to make it grow. God’s kingdom dream involves transforming this world through love and kindness and mercy. Jesus starts this revolution Himself, and He gathers others who join Him in this mission. Some people reject the dream, but many people…
Sharing God’s family values!
SCRIPTURE: Mark 3:31-35 We are all related somehow; everyone is my brother or sister, not just immediate family members. Yet Jesus does limit the family bond to some extent: to those who do what God wants. What God wants (love, justice, truth, generosity, etc.) is what we need to enjoy God’s family blessing. Only those who…
Closing my mind to the Spirit of God?
SCRIPTURE: Mark 3:20-30 “He is out of His mind!”… “He is controlled by Beelzebub!” Jesus responds to how people accuse and attack Him, warning them to be very careful, that they may actually be closing themselves to God’s Spirit. What they see as crazy, what they feel as wrong, what they reject as demonic… is actually…
I am an apostle (and so are you)!
SCRIPTURE: Mark 3:13-19 These twelve disciples are not the first and only apostles, but the first of many apostles. Yes, they have a position of priority because they are first, and they walked with Jesus. They talked with Jesus, they worked with Jesus, they suffered with Jesus, they died with Jesus (eventually). But Jesus made it…
‘Mud-in-the-eye-refuse-to-die’ realistic faith
SCRIPTURE: Psalm 44 There was a time when my faith was simple: God was great, God was good, and everything made sense. In time things got more complicated: good people suffered, bad people prospered, not everything seemed to work out for good. Eventually I entered perplexity: what? why? how? when? nothing fit with my simple faith….
Do you talk about God with others?
When is the last time you have had a conversation about God with someone – outside of church? The Psalms encourage us to express what we are thinking and feeling about God. But outside of church settings, it seems awkward or inappropriate to talk about God. Some people bring up God in very unhelpful (pushy,…
Jesus holds everything together!
Laminin, God’s signature printed within you! “Christ is the exact likeness of God, who can’t be seen. He is first, and he is over all of creation. All things were created by him. He created everything in heaven and on earth. He created everything that can be seen and everything that can’t be seen. He…