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"When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their ...
Keep ReadingWhen they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life" (Acts 11:18). I have a friend, I'll call her Jane, who is an atheist. She is a committed follower and goes to weekly atheist meetings and "game nights" in Raleigh. She likes the open atmosphere of support and non-judgement...
Keep ReadingActs 11:1-4, 15-18,Galatians 2:11-14 Once upon a time, in a church far, far away there was a kitchen committee. The power and duties of the kitchen committee were taken very seriously by each member, and the committee made it known they weren't keen on taking outside direction. It was rarely given, because to cross the kitchen committee meant certain social deathand every...
Keep ReadingBut when certain men arrived, Peter drew backand began to separate himself from the Gentiles(Galatians 2:12). Years ago, when one particular woman in my bridge club befriended me above others, I felt special about moving with the "in crowd." But the closer this woman and I got, and the more time we spent together, I didn't like who I became. Her constant criticism of othe...
Keep ReadingSomeone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" (Luke 12:13-14). This week's passage kicks off with two unnamed brothers arguing about their inheritance (i.e., dad's money, possessions, assets). At that time, the first-born brother would receive a "doub...
Keep ReadingSpeaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." ... Just then God showed up and said, "Fool! Tonight you die. And your barnful of goodswho gets it?" That's what happens when you fill your barn with Self and not with God (Luke 12: 15, 20, 21 MSG). What did you ...
Keep ReadingAnd Jesus told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought TO HIMSELF, 'What SHALL I DO? I have no place to store MY CROPS.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'LL DO. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store MY SURPLUSgrain. And I'll say TO MYSELF, "You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. ...
Keep ReadingThen he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;life does not consist in an abundance of possessions" (Luke 12:15). I remember my first teaching job after college. It was my first time living on my own, paying my bills, and managing my money. My "saver" personality wanted to save as much as I could and not waste any money. But even though sa...
Keep ReadingThen Jesus said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed;life does not consist in an abundance of possessions" (Luke 12:15). Can having too much stuff be as harmful to our spiritual health as having too many pounds is to our physical health? Jesus says, "Yes, absolutely." As we enter the second week of our Inner Strength: Building a Resilient Co...
Keep Reading"My son," the father said, "you are always with me, and everything I have is yours" (Luke 15: 31). For those of us who run, fall is often known as "Racing Season". Or, for the more ambitious, "Marathon Season". Preparing for fall races starts in the summer. Runners trade a little extra sleep for early morning long runs or prioritize the evening workout at night, instead o...
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