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"Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him" (Matthew 2:13). Prepare yourself. The onslaught of holiday movies is coming! And get ready for all those holiday tropes! The dogs break into the house and eat the holiday turkey! Christmas is ruined! A snowstorm tr...
Keep ReadingThis is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham (Matthew 1:1). As we enter the season of Advent, a few things about God are pulled to the front of my mind. God is awesome. God is all-powerful. But God never acts randomly. He always acts with purpose. That foundation helps me understand why Matthew begins his Gospel the way he does. Matthe...
Keep ReadingHe appointed twelve that they might be with himand that he might send them out to preach (Mark 3: 14). I don't think Heaven has a Human Resources Department. And if it did, they definitely wouldn't approve the hiring strategy Jesus used for His first disciples. Imagine the head of Heavenly HR reviewing Jesus' new team. "Jesus, I admire Your passion for this mission. But ...
Keep ReadingThen Jesus asked them, "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they remained silent. (Mark 3:4). When the brokenness of the world collides with the compassion of Christ, what answer will my life give? When I began reflecting and writing on the collisions Jesus had with the Pharisees in these Sabbath stories, that question ...
Keep ReadingYou, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free...serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Gal 5:13,14). What comes to mind when you think of love? Maybe flowers, letters, red hearts, or wedding rings come to mind. These things are all expressions of love, but Paul reminds us that...
Keep ReadingJesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man."I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" (Mark 1: 41) I'll admit it. The thought of an angry Jesus is shocking! That's not how I like to see Him! The way I picture Him is loving, kind, and compassionate. So, when I read Mark describing Jesus as "indignant," I am shocked. My instinct is to soften it. I want to l...
Keep ReadingVery early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the houseand went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1: 35). It's easy to imagine that because I live thousands of years after Jesus, my world must be so much noisier and busier. My cell phone is buzzing. Social media notifications are dinging. A newsfeed scrolls endlessly. My life is full...
Keep ReadingThe impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teachingand with authority! (Mark 1: 26-27). A great way to get me running in the opposite direction is to tell me to be all in. Whether it's an "exciting" new program at work or a "can't miss" investment opportunity, ...
Keep Reading"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people" (Mark 1: 17). My garage is a mess. And it's not the kind of mess that requires me to sweep out some leaves or move a couple boxes. It's the, "I might never get my car back in here" kind of mess. Boxes of junk that I promised to sort years ago. Broken tools I was planning to fix. Cardboard that nee...
Keep Reading"Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater thanthe one who sent him. Now that you know these things,you will be blessed if you do them" (John 13:16-17). [With some of our writers enjoying one last week of summer vacation, we've brought up some oldies but goodies from January 2022. We pray you'll be blessed.] There once was a...
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