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whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoeverwants to be first must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be servedbut to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:44-45). Happy Monday and Chatham Serves Sunday (CSS) is just six days away! Please check out the many opportunities to serve and sign up for one: www.cha...
Keep ReadingIn his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working." (John 5:17) Twister has always been a favorite movie of mine, and I recently watched the more recent iteration that followed, Twisters. It did not disappoint! The plot for both are the same: rag tag group of storm chasersyou guessed it!--chase storms to gather data...
Keep ReadingSo, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders beganto persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, "My father is always at his workto this very day, and I too am working" (John 5:16-17). As summer came to a close, we kicked off the fall with our Ignite series. Now in the final week, let's check in. Has there been a place in your life tha...
Keep ReadingSo, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. In his defense Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working." For this reason, they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God....
Keep ReadingJesus gave them this answer: Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does (John 5:19) When you're faced with a tough decision, what guides you? Is it what society says, what your church teaches, your own gut feelings, or other people's opinions? Jesus always looke...
Keep ReadingJohn 5:16-21 This week marks the finale of our Ignite series. Hope all kinds of good things are "sparking" in your lives! Are you one of those people who hates surprises or loves them? "Prepare to be surprised!" should be printed at the start of the New Testament, just before we read Matthew 1:1. In fact, it should be printed, not only at the start of Matthew, but also a...
Keep ReadingWith great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrectionof the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them allthat there were no needy persons among them (Acts 4:33-34). This world can be a challenging place. And often, even when we look towards the Bible for guidance, trying to find the answer we want for a very "right now" conundrum can b...
Keep ReadingAll the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any oftheir possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had (Acts 4:32). I've been a part of ten church communities over the course of my life. They're spread across the countryeast coast, west coast, upper and lower parts of the Midwest. So *fairly* representative, I'd say. An interesting t...
Keep ReadingAll the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had (Acts 4:32). When I was younger, my brothers and I each had a glass jar with our name on it sitting on the counter. The jars had lines on them, each line labeled something like "get ice cream," "see a movie," or "go to McDonald's." ...
Keep ReadingAll the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power, the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God's grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land...
Keep ReadingA new week and a new focus for our Ignite series. This week, we're going to look at (deep breath) money. Actually, we're going to look at what can be done with money, especially generosity. Here's our passage for this week: All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With ...
Keep ReadingBut Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the LordSaul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord (Acts 9:27, 28). Sharing conversion stories can be fun. Even for those who are still trying to orient their lives around Jesus, who are far from calling themselves a ...
Keep ReadingWhen he (Saul) came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus (Acts 9:26-27). ...
Keep ReadingIn a vision he has seen a man named Ananias comeand place his hands on him to restore his sight (Acts 9:12). Main characters have it rough. Sure, they're usually endowed with the honor of saving the day and guiding the conflict to a satisfying resolution. Getting there, however, takes grit, courage, and an uncomfortable growth phase to transform into one who possesses the...
Keep ReadingHe fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do" (Acts 9:4-6). In Acts 9, we find the incredible story of Saul's transformationa moment that changed the course of his life an...
Keep Reading"He [Paul] will carry My name before the Gentiles and the people of Israel" (Acts 9:15). It's week 4 of our "Ignite!" sermon series, and maybe you've tired of the spark, light, and fire analogies in our devotionals. Would you grant me some grace as I put these images to work just one more time? Chris Rice's 2014 song "Go Light Your World" assumes we have "soul candles" a...
Keep ReadingSee what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes i...
Keep ReadingWhat marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at itwe're called children of God! That's who we really are (1 John 3:1 MSG). Back in the 1870s someone kicked the embers from a bonfire off the side of a cliff in Yosemite National Park. It created what looked like a glowing waterfall to the onlookers below, and that event turned into a tourist attraction that ...
Keep ReadingHow great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that weshould be called children of God! (1 John 3:1) For ignition to occur, it's critical to line up two (or more) items. Sometimes, that alignment must be spot-on. Take the matchbook, for instance. Maybe it's just me, but I strike and strike and strike (while my candle patiently waits) before I get the match tip align...
Keep ReadingNo one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They've got him all backward (I John 3:6-7, The Message). About six years ago, my family moved from South Korea to America. Although my kids are half Korean and half American, they had never lived in America before. When Koreans saw my kids, they ...
Keep ReadingBehold the love the Father has lavished upon us, that we might be called the children of God all those who have this hope within themselves purify themselves as he is pure (1 John 3:1-3). Good Monday to you all, and here's hoping this week's Connect Devotionals ignite some good things in us! The books in the New Testament attributed to John the Gospel, three letters ...
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