I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 8:11-12) Reading aloud has always been a part of the bedtime routine in our house....

"When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help."Lord," he said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed,suffering terribly." Jesus said to him,"Shall I come and heal him?" The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with so...

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith" (Matthew 8:10). Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would" (Matthew 8:13a). Small children have astonishing faith in their mothers and fathers. Why? Their little beings have s...

Highlights and news from CCC on 5.23.20...

When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him,asking for help (Matthew 8:5). Into the Unknown How do we find our way in the face of great uncertainty? Uncertainty certainly feels uncomfortable, threatening, exhausting. Is seeking certainty the right response to uncertainty? Maybe not as much as we think. Of our four Gospels, Matthew is the most Jewish in tone a...

But Naaman went away angry he turned and went off in a rage "Go in peace," Elisha said (2 Kings 5:11-12, 19). Naaman knew how things worked and how to get things done. He was capable, decisive and successful. A military man, he knew about orders, obeying them and giving them. As a well-established, well-regarded commander, maybe more these days about giving orders. Na...

"Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, washyourself seven timesin the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of theLordhis God, wave his handover the spot and cure me of my leprosy So he turned and went off in a rage.Naaman'...

Namaan was a commander of the army a great man in the eyes of his masterhighly regarded a valiant soldier but he had leprosy (2 Kings 5:1). Leprosy, like corona virus, is no respecter of persons. This week's passage is about paying attention to "outside" voices, those that come from outside the normal channels, our preferred sources, the "proper authorities." Namaan's...

So Naaman left... (2 Kings 5:5b). So he went down... (2 Kings 5:14a). Then Naaman...stood before him (the man of God) and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel" (2 Kings 5:15). Naaman had three problems. The first was obvious. The second was too close for him to see. The third was too foreign for him to comprehend. Naaman's first pro...

2 Kings 5:1-17 What a bizarre story! A top-gun army commander named Naaman falls ill with leprosy and a slave girl suggests he travel into enemy territory for a cure. So Namaan heads off loaded down with gold and silver for the enemy and ticks off the king when he arrives. Then Namaan gets connected with a prophet whose cure is nothing more than washing in a river. Ser...

When they got into the boat, the wind ceased (Matthew 14:32). WARNING: I am going to call into question a cherished phrase of Christianese. GOOD NEWS: you get to decide if I'm right or wrong! Or somewhere in between. The phrase is "get out of your comfort zone." Maybe it's because I've heard it too often. Maybe it's because I am too comfortable. But at the same time, I ...

"'Lord, if it's you,'" Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water.""Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the waterand came to Jesus (Matthew 14:28-29). It is never an easy thing when Jesus summons us. If answering the call was easy everyone would do it, but there is always something to consider before doing so. Often the task at hand ...

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water.""Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat,walked on the water and came toward Jesus (Matthew 14:28-29). I love going to the pool. As soon spring starts warming up I start getting the itch. My son gets excited, too. He gets so excited I must make sure he applies sunscreen before leaving th...

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side But the boat was already a considerable distance from the land, buffeted by the wavesbecause the wind was against it But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I.Don't be afraid" Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying,"Truly you are the Son of God" (Matthew 14...

"It's a ghost!" they said and cried out in fear Jesus said, "Take courage, it is I.Don't be afraid" Peter said, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water" "Come," Jesus said Peter got out of the boat (Matthew 14:26-29). VUCA is apparently a new acronym for our times: life is Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. Volatile: changing rapidly, constan...

Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fingers where the nails were,and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it (John 20:25). "Doubting" Thomas, that wet blanket on the resurrection party. Talk about being in a confined space: "Unless I stick my hand into the spear wound in his side, I won't believe it." Poor Thomas has become the go-to illustration...

"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders,Jesus came and stood among them and said,"Peacebe with you!"After he said this, he showed them his hands and side.The disciples were overjoyedwhen they saw the Lord. Again, Jesus said,"Peace be with you!As the Father has sent me,I am sendi...

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. John 20:19-20 NIV (The verses in bold below represent the same passag...

"Unless I (Thomas) see...I will not believe it."Then Jesus told him (Thomas), "Because you have seen me, you have believed;blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:25, 29). Have you ever felt a bit sorry for Thomas? After all, he's gotten a bad rap all these years as the guy who didn't have the faith to believe Jesus was alive when the others in...

Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you Peace be with you Peace be with you!" (John 20:19, 21, 26) Elijah wanted to die. Nebuchadnezzar wanted the three rebellious Jews to die. Paul and Silas didn't die in Philippi, but a severe beating and imprisonment in a first-century jail probably got them pretty close. As we come this week to the fourth and ...

The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joybecause he had come to believe in Godhe and his whole family (Acts 16:34). Everyone in this passage is in a tight space. Paul and Silas, in prison, of course; they're the heroes of the story. But also: a slave girl, economically exploited and demonically oppressed. Some prominent Phi...

After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailerwas commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.About midnightPaul and Silaswere praying and singing hymnsto God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:23-25). On the surface, being...

After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison...About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God,and the other prisoners were listening to them (Acts 16:23a and 25a). In the movie A Walk to Remember, Landon takes Jamie to the Virginia/North Carolina state-line and asks her to stand with one foot in one state and one in the other. ...

Acts 16:16-36 March 13. That's when everything changed. As a teacher and mom of three school-aged children, hearing school would be closed at the end of that day for an unknown period of time rocked my world. I was working hard, cooking dinner, taking kids to practice, going to church, and going about life as normal up until then. I had been listening to the news, of cour...

Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment, the spirit left her (Acts 16:18). What got Paul and Silas into the tight space of a jail in Philippi? We're more familiar with how they got out, or rather how God got them outmore on that during this third week of ou...

They saw the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; theirrobes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them (Daniel 3:27).Refuse to bow in worship? Into the fire you go. The king orders the furnace heated "seven times hotter than usual" and orders his strongest soldiers to bind them tightly and toss them in. The heat is so i...

There are some Jews who neither serve your godsnor worship the image of gold you have set up" (Daniel 3:12). Exile to Babylon was, for the Jews of Daniel's time, the ultimate discipline from the Lord. But God's judgments are righteous and redemptive; their goal is not punishment, but recovery of identity, restoration of true health, reclamation of mission, and-- God ext...

"'But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what godwill be able to rescueyou from my hand?' Shadrach, Meshach and Abednegoreplied to him, 'King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliverus from it, and he will de...

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3: 12, 13, 16, 19, 20, 22, 26, 28-30). The most famous story in the Book of Daniel doesn't even have Daniel in it. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: every single time they appear in Scripture, they appear together and "in order," always Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Each and every time, standing as one, speaking as one. They appe...

Daniel 3the whole chapter, please! As we relearn each and every Easter, God does his finest work in the tightest spaces. Please keep that empty tomb in mind as we work our way through this Shelter series. Easter is not a once-and-done date on a calendar; death-and-resurrection is how God always goes about his work Be on the lookout for ways in which each of our Shelter ...

Elijah was afraid and ran for his life (1 Kings 19:3) Where did Elijah think he was going? What was he hoping to find once he got there? He runs because the powerful king and queen of Israel, Ahab and Jezebel, have sworn to kill him. He flees, first, all the way to Beersheba, the southernmost city in the Promised Land. From there, a day's journey into the desert. Find...

"'Go out and stand on the mountainin the presence of theLord, for theLordis about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful windtore the mountains apart and shatteredthe rocks before theLord, but theLordwas not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but theLordwas not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire,but theLordwas not in the fire. And after...

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD,for the LORD is about to pass by" (1 Kings 19:11) What if God would like to have a different kind of conversation with us, with you? And what if God is present, is with us, in our current circumstancesin our current tight spacesto that end? There are all kinds of tight spaces. Some are shelters...

And the word of the Lord came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (I Kings 19:9b and 13b). A few weeks after saying my life-transforming "Yes" to Jesus, I sat in a church service where I Kings 19:3-18 was being preached. Although that was forty-plus years ago, I can still hear that pastor's reading of "What are you doing here, Elijah?" He put strong emphasis on the...

Elijah traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God.There he went into a cave and spent the night (1 Kings 19:8-9). God does some of his best work in confined spaces. Jonah inside a great fish. Paul writing much of our New Testament from prison, and John, the Book of Revelation from a penal island in the Aegean Sea. Bunyan's Pilgrim's P...

So Joseph brought some linen cloth, took the body down,wrapped it in the linen and placed it in a tomb (Mark 15:46). What is today, this day that you are reading these words? Well, it's Saturday, April 11, 2020 a weekend day, Day Number Whatever in our virus-changed world maybe your birthday, or anniversary just another day the day after Good Friday, the day before E...

Mark 16:1-8 Take time with the story; take time in it. Notice: Mark tells the story of the Resurrection through the lens of three women. They have been "minor characters," not even mentioned by Mark until the very end of chapter 15: these women witness the crucifixion and watch as Jesus' body is entombed nearby (15:40, 47). It has been just a week since what seemed to b...

Mark 16:1-8 As you work your way through Mark 11-15 and arrive at this week's passage, Mark 16:1-8, the sermon text for Easter Sunday, here are some things to notice. First, notice Mark's very strange ending. The final word in Mark's Gospel is afraid! You'll probably have some footnotes in your Bible that explain that we're not sure if this is how Mark intended to conclu...

... they were on their way to the tomb... "Don't be alarmed, "he (the young man dressed in a white robe) said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here... But go, tell his disciples..." Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb.They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid (Mark 16:2, 6a, 8...

"As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robesitting on the right side, and they were alarmed."Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene,who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him,ju...

When the Sabbath was over very early on the first day of the week,just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb (Mark 16:1-2) We'll be reading this week's Connect Devotionals in the days immediately after Palm Sunday. However, they focus on the sermon text for next Sunday, Easter Sunday. So we're doing a bit of time-bending here, providing tomorrow's news (or n...

"No, said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet" (John 13:8). Oh, Peter: you got it partly right. It is of course inappropriate that the one you call "Lord" should be washing your feet! (We note that Peter is happy to advise Jesus, but not leap to his feet and switch places with him.) (And, noting how this story unfolds, Jesus would not have let Peter switch places.) It...

If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing...So, if I, the Master and Teacher,washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet." (John 13:8) As I parent I hear myself saying, "Just watch me. I can explain, but just watch for a minute and you'll get it." Likewise, as a daughter, I find myself doing things just as my mom did them -- because I saw her do i...

Jesus answered and said to him, "What I am doing you do not understand now,but you will know after this" (John 13:7). I had never participated in a foot-washing ceremony until 2007 when I began attending a small historic church in NJ. Their custom was to do this on Maundy Thursdaythe night commemorating the Last Supper. Never since have I read the account of Jesus wash...

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied,"You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered,"Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!" (John 13...

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This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters (1 John 3:16). A tiny virus we can't see is bringing our world to its knees. We're hearing the phrase "new normal" a lotand it seems like we're getting a new new normal every day. This can be confusing, scary, wearying, but it looks like...

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20). The tension in the operating room was palpable as the chief surgeon resolutely pushed the gurney carrying the heart donor through the doors. Waiting inside lay the terminal pa...

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.The life I live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God,who loved me and gave himself for me (Galatians 2:20). You might be familiar with this "old Maine" joke: a tourist stops to ask an old Mainer for directions: "How do I get to Millinocket?" The old-timer rubs his chin, looks one way, ...

Follow God's example,therefore, as dearly loved children,and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved usand gave himself up for usas a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:1-2). My wife loves to cook. Some of her favorite dishes to make are ethnic: Thai beef salad, Korean pork tacos, and Greek chicken gyros, to name a few. My all-time favorite is Hunga...

live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself upas a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2). Many of us are familiar with this Scripture: "Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth and the life '" (John 14:6). Before Jesus is the truth and the life, he is the way. Jesus calls us to follow him. Follow his lead. Follow his example. Follow his c...

In him you too are being built together to become a dwellingwhere God lives by his Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). The Jesus way is the only way God goes about God's business. We're looking at God's new-Temple building project, as Paul unpacks it in this week's passage (Ephesians 2:11-22). And very suddenly and unexpectedly, we're thinking about this in the face of a pandemic. ...

In him you too are being built together to become a dwellingwhere God lives by his Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). Ephesians 2:19-22 describes an active construction zone: building materials (people!) are gathered, cornerstone (Jesus!) installed, foundation laid, an entirely new kind of "building" is risinga building that actually is not a physical structure but a new kind of ...

"For he himself is our peace,who has made the two groups oneand has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility" (Ephesians 2:14). When I was a kid, my favorite thing to do was go to my grandparent's house. It was a land of delicious food and endless amounts of Disney movies. My grandfather's den was known as "the grandkids room," and my sister, cousins and I ...

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to ...

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens but fellow citizens with God's peopleand members of God's household (Ephesians 2:19). My husband Tony immigrated to America from Asia in 1969. I've wondered if this is why photos of grateful immigrants becoming US citizens tug at my heart. When I read this verse, however, I see that maybe my spirit identifies with im...

Ephesians 2:11-22 Your Connect Devotional scribes hope our readers are reading the whole of the week's Scripture passage before diving into our brief attempts to comment on one or two aspects of it each morning. Please get a sense for the forest before reading our observations on one or two trees! We're currently exploring a wonderful, beautiful, un-boundaried "forest"...

He forgave all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:13b-14). I volunteered in a refugee camp as a college student one summer. Though I witnessed much pain and loss, God blessed me so much during that time. I enjoyed getting to know people in t...

When you were dead in your sins God made you alive with Christ (Colossians 2:15). We're a pretty "performance oriented" country. We love high-performance cars, get performance reviews at work, experience "performance anxiety" of all kinds and in lots of situations, and know that "past performance is no guarantee of future results"! We're only as good as our last perfor...

When you were dead in your sinsand in the uncircumcision of your flesh,God made youalivewith Christ (Colossians 3:13). There are no zombies in the family of God. You've all seen your fair share of zombie flicks, right? Zombies are those half-dead creatures, formerly human, who now teeter somewhere between the realm of the living and the dead. They aren't fully consciou...

He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14b-15). Do you like to be told what to do? True confession: I don't. Okay, that's not always true. But when as a teenager I pushed back at my mother's list of Saturday morning chor...

God made you alive forgave all our sins cancelled the written code that was against us disarmed the principalities and powers, triumphing over them by the cross (Colossians 2:13-15). We all have favorite colors, right? As a child, when you got that box of new markers or colored pencils or paints or the Crayola 128-crayon mega-box, you had some colors you used more than ...

God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting our sins against us.And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19). The message of reconciliationthat great good news that through the cross, God has reconciled us to Godis hard to say and harder to hear in our current context. The general idea of reconciliation is highly regar...

God made him who had no sinto be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Have you ever wondered, "Why the cross? Why did the Son of God have to die on a cross in order to forgive my sins?" The answer to that question is at once complex and incredibly simple. The cross reveals God's wisdom through what it allowed Him to ac...

All this is from God, who reconciled himself through Christand gave us the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). Reconciled is a wonderful word about a bad situation. Reconciliation is needed when a relationship has broken down, gone bad, been destroyed by evil, injustice, anger, rejection, bitterness, unforgiveness. Reconciliation involves hard and difficult ...

And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselvesbut for Him who died for them and was raised again (2 Corinthians 5:15). God is Love. Love exists in relationship, and God is all about relationship. God is, therefore, all about reconciliation when there is relationship break-down. The archetype of relationship break-down is found in the Genesi...

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21) At the heart and center of the Christian faith and life hangs a crucified man. And around that terrible image some weighty and wonder-filled words have gathered: atonement, reconciliation, ransom, forgiveness, redemption, restoration, substitution, sacrifice, blood, victory, along with many others. We w...

Then Jehoshaphat stood up and said "O LORD God we have no power to face this mighty army. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you" (2 Chronicles 20:5, 12). Ever feel at a loss for words when it comes to prayer? The Bible is chock full of prayers: every Psalm is a kind of prayer, so there's 150 of them. The Lord's Prayer. The prayers that Paul prayed for the ...

Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God's (2 Chronicles 20:15b). Some Old Testament stories are grim, but they were preserved because each has a lesson for us. Often we can go for years not-getting-it, then one day our eyes are opened to its relevance for our life. In 2 Chronicles 20 Jehoshaphat and his people are ...

"...Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's" 2 Chronicles 20:15. In the regular army the higher you go up the chain-of-command, the less likely you are to find people who fight. The logic is simple. It's much easier to oversee the execution of a battle plan if you're not on the front lines facing the brunt of the...

"Attention everyone -- all of you from out of town, all of you from Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshaphat -- God's word: Don't be afraid; don't pay any mind to this vandal horde. This is God's war, not yours. Tomorrow you'll go after them; see, they're already on their way up the slopes of Ziz; you'll meet them at the end of the ravine near the wilderness of Jeruel. You wo...

Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Israel fell down in worship before the LORD (2 Chronicles 20:19). What's the most human thing we do? Better yet, what's the most humanizing thing we dowhat is it that makes us most distinctively and most fully human? Worship. Every human being is a worshipper of something. Christ calls us to be wo...

Ephesians 6:10-17 There it is, four times, in this classic Pauline passage on "spiritual warfare": stand. Take your stand stand your ground after you have done everything, stand stand firm. Not stand around doing nothing. Not stand still, unable or unwilling to move. Not stand in a safe spot. Stand in the battle. Keep your position. Follow the "standing orders" of Ki...

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,against the authorities, against the powers of this dark worldand against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). If ever a person had a right to be angry with people, it was Jesus. Think about it: while he was being nailed to a cross, the blood being spilled with ever...

"Put on the full armor of God" (Ephesians 6:13). If you ran into someone, let's say at a crowded checkout line, dressed in a full suit of Roman armorhelmet, breastplate, shield, sword, the whole worksyou might be puzzled, bemused, or maybe annoyed: no wonder the line's moving so slowly! If, however, you encountered someone whose life was characterized by truth, righteous...

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12) A good first step in recognizing our enemy is discerning whom our enemy is not. Thankfully Paul tells us up front that our enemy is not people. Yes, it ma...

"Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 6:12). The King James renders Ephesians 6:12 like this: "We wrestle not against flesh and blood." Many Christians have mis-heard and mis-read these words as saying "we don't have to wrestle." But if you are a Christ follower, you are already in a wr...

2 Kings 6:8-23 Wouldn't it be terrific to know what your enemies were saying and planning? Wouldn't it be awesome to be able to see, as Elisha could, God's armies of fire, surrounding and protecting you? Surely, if we studied Elisha's life and story deeply enough, we could discover some spiritual tips and techniques to provide ourselves with that kind of hearing, that k...

2 Kings 6:8-23 It's a funny story: an ancient warlord who finds himself being spied upon by God; he imagines he has surrounded his enemy, Elijah the prophet, only to find he has been surrounded by the armies of God; he and his army are struck blind, then led like sheep straight to their opponent and to certain death ("Shall I kill them, my father; shall I kill them?" ve...

"but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom" (2 Kings 6:12b). On October 7, 2010 I got to be God's messenger girl. I was driving through Netcong, NJ when I glimpsed a woman standing on the corner smoking a cigarette. Into my awareness came this message: "My Sweet One, you need never smoke a cigarett...

"Will you not show me who of us is for the king of Israel?" And one of his servants said,"None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israelthe words that you speak in your bedroom" (2Kings 6:11-12). A download is a transfer of information from one system to another, and many people think that downloading started with the age of ...

[Elisha's servant said], "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" The prophet answered,"Those who are with us are more than are with them" (2 Kings 6:15-16). We're beginning a new series, "Eyes Wide Open." Let's set the scene for this week's Scripture passage: It's been about 200 years since King David, and around 850 years before Jesus. God's people Israel, originally unit...

From Blessing to Building Brian and Kathy Emmet Blessed are the poor in spirit Everyone who hears these words of mine and putsthem into practice is like a wise man who builds his house on the rock (Matthew 5:3, 7:24). Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with blessing. Who doesn't like to be blessed? Jesus ends the Sermon with a story about two builders and two bui...

Good Tree, Bad Tree Lana Waters Liu By their (the false prophets') fruit you will recognize them. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit,and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit (Matthew 7:16, 18). If the idea of a good tree and a bad tree sounds familiar to you, you may be remembering the two trees in the Genesis garden. We were told way back then that the bad tree is the...

Not Everyone Brian and Kathy Emmet Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). "Jesus is Lord!" is the core Christian confession. The apostle Paul wrote that if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead, we ...

If This Fruit Could Talk Blake Barbera "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a disea...

Two Ways, Two Trees, Two Buildings Brian and Kathy Emmet Matthew 7:13-29 Fred Rogers ("Mister Rogers"), who appears to have known Jesus pretty well and modeled some pretty right-side up living in our upside-down world, said, "Life is deep and simple, and what our world gives us is shallow and complicated." Jesus makes things simple, which is not the same as making th...

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Kingdom salt and light...

Jesus says it’s hard to live this kind of blessed life. There is resistance and opposition, both internally and externally, to living a blessed life characterized by poverty of spirit, meekness, mourning, purity of heart and all the rest that Jesus lists in his nine blessings. Resistance and opposition means persecution....

The way Jesus is talking, that way is upside-down. It sounds like He's saying showing up and being with Him is the right-side-up way. Or even just longing to show up and be with Him....

Here’s the good news: God begins the righting of the upside-down world, not by commanding or rebuking or punishing, but by coming in person and speaking words of blessing. Blessing gets life going -- true, real, and abundant life!...

Putting Jesus first frees us from self-absorption. ...

A life of faith, hope, and love...

Paul exhorts his readers that love is more lasting than spiritual experiences, that's why it's the most excellent way. ...

Paul gives the definitive answer to this question....

Love matters more than the other things that vie for our attention and affections....

Lots of people answering the question "what's the good life?" ...

Paul helps us to win the battle in our heads!...

You can either prayerfully expand your dominion (training, skills, mentors, get help) or surrender and embrace your limits. ...

thanksgiving fights anxiety...

The Spirit is in us, making us gentle and strong...

Paul in Philippians 4 invites us to rejoice in the Lord always--one of the ways he's going to instruct us in fighting to win the battle for the voices in our heads. ...

Paul cites an ancient hymn to help us to understand who we need to be in relation to one another....

Paul lists things that kill community and exhorts us to get rid of it!...

The unique and distinguishing characteristics of Christian community...

In Philippians 2, Paul encourages the church to lean into their shared experience in Jesus....

We have to learn how to do community and how to do it well. ...

The law was an attempt at keeping the flesh at bay. The Spirit was a much better option....

Why biting and devouring and destroying happens, especially in religious communities....

We need Jesus to help us to really understand what God means by love, freedom, and other key concepts...

We've got to understand what real freedom looks like and means...

God wants us to be free. We just gotta' get on the same page about what that means...

Our character formation in Christ leads us to a place where we can ask whatever we want and God will (one day) grant it!...

Some suggestions for engaging difficult sayings of Jesus...

Remain in Jesus--hard but simple!...

Jesus says God is a good gardner who prunes us....

A reflective reading of the Good Friday story...

A reflective reading of the Maundy Thursday passages...

Jesus walked the guys on the road to Emmaus through the Old Testament. ...

Our disappointments are the other side of our expectations and hopes. Jesus meets us in those and sometimes blows them up for something much better. ...

Jesus asks the men on the road to Emmaus questions to surface their hearts and needs...

Jesus celebrates that the woman does what she can. That frees us to do what we can do and know that Jesus delights in it as well. ...

Worship is a waste of time and money unless Jesus is worth it. People will always object, and they're right. Unless Jesus is who he says he is and unless God is as good as Jesus tells us he is....

Sometimes you've got to break a valuable thing to do the priceless thing....

The chief priests became the type of people who could kill Jesus day by day and bit by bit. ...

Jesus has come to Jerusalem to embrace his necessary ending. We have to embrace ours, too. ...

Bringing your curious mind with you when reading scripture is one healthy practice for deep and meaningful Bible engagement....

The names that are placed on you shape the way the world sees you and the way you see yourself. ...

You have a meaningful part to play in the bigger story....

Focus on your legacy and you’ll lose it. Focus on loving the Lord and the people he places in front of you and you’ll leave a legacy that will be worth remembering....

We operate for much of the time as if we’re the main character in the story....

Ruth and Boaz are both noble people, no matter what. ...

Sometimes doing the right thing is an abrupt surprise to the people around us. ...

Naomi gives Ruth a crazy set of instructions, Ruth rolls with it. ...

When the church is working well, we're family for each other. The ancient church had to be family for one another because of their level of persecution....

Sometimes we settle. Naomi pushes Ruth to not to. ...

Naomi utters her first positive words in Ruth on the other side of Ruth's interaction with Boaz, as both Ruth and Boaz do courageous things that bless others. ...

Participate in the blessing economy by crossing a typical social boundary or barrier. ...

God has positioned us to bless others...

God's at work, even in our darkest times. ...

Faced with all sorts of uncertainty, Ruth takes a small courageous step of faith. God's Spirit makes us strong to do the same kind of work....

Kinship that has morphed into friendship is demonstrated by Ruth's commitment to Naomi. ...

God sometimes seems out to get us. Naomi and Ruth's story shows us that's not true...and we have to fight for what is....

God's grace is available to us, even in difficult times. Sometimes we just have to slow down long enough to receive it....

What we do when our life feels mostly like we're "without" is something we can learn from. ...

The book of Ruth opens up with all kinds of heartache. God is still at work, even though it doesn't look like it. ...

In a sober warning to the religious leaders, Jesus warns that they will break apart on him as they continue to refuse to recognize him and receive his words. ...

There are lots of warning passages in the Scriptures, how do we receive them as a gift of grace rather than frown upon them as judgmental and angry? ...

The Father and the Son are devoted to sharing their inheritance with you....

Israel ignored God's warnings, killing the prophets. We do the same thing. ...

If we stick with Jesus long enough, we'll bump up against something that's hard for us. Stick with it, it's worth it. ...

We all want to be justified on some level. Let God's justification of us carry the day!...

If our understanding of God is warped our prayers will be warped. Our prayers can help us to see as a mirror our picture of God--and help us to do some correction if necessary...

How do we have convictions and yet live generously?...

Jesus didn't get along with self-righteous religious people like many of our friends who aren't Christians. That's good news!...

Jesus frees us from empty religion to a real relationship...

God gives us earthly money to allow us to invest in something eternal....

Jesus challenges us to invest in eternal things...

Sometimes we have to remember reading Scripture is a cross-cultural experience. Be patient, do a little digging and we might learn some things....

Getting creative with problem solving takes a little step back sometimes...

Jesus shows us how to continue to trust in God's goodness even in the midst of our disappointment with his slowness to act on our behalf. ...

Jesus invites us to pray because God is good and God is love. ...

The persistent widow persists! How might we persist in our own works that we need to do today? ...

Nobody feels like they pray enough. That's why Jesus gives us instructions to stick with it....

Luke tells us that Jesus tells us that we should always pray and never give up!...

Jesus describes the heart of God to have a full house marked by the gathering of people who were previously overlooked...

Daily life can cause us to miss out on the kingdom of God...

It's always easier not to go, not to do things. But there's a core of our relationship with Jesus that compels us to get going. ...

Jesus invites us into the great banquet of the kingdom of God...

Jesus challenges the religious and is kind to the people in the margins. How do we do at matching pitch with our audience? ...

Clarity never comes from the crowds. Jesus shows us where it comes from and how to handle the crowd pressures. ...

Jesus tells the demons to be quiet even though they're speaking truthfully about who he is. ...

Jesus heals and touches people to make them well!...

Healing isn't just for us. It's for us to be a blessing to others. ...

Peter's married--he's normal! That means the ways that Jesus intersect his life has something to teach us about how he might want to intersect ours....

When we experience Jesus's power and authority in our lives, there's a response of worship and witness that are natural. We need to share it....

Jesus is the re-humanizing agent in a world full of darkness and corruption and pain ...

The demons are afraid of Jesus--so we have hope for our own battles against darkness. ...

A quick look at demons in the Gospels...

Good news: Jesus is the authority we can trust and we were made for....

Self-righteousness is one of the biggest competitors for your heart. ...

The prophet is rejected in his hometown--what hometown wisdom we will refuse to listen to? ...

Jesus's mission statement doesn't seem to include us, but that's a good thing....

Jesus's first sermon, he reads his mission statement from Isaiah...

Jesus goes home and hangs out at the old synagogue. ...

Memorizing Scripture helps to cut through the fog of temptation. ...

Description of why Jesus was tempted...

Lord's prayer, lead us not into temptation...

Temptation definition, overcoming it....

Jesus in the desert...

Helping to understand why Jesus got baptized when he was without sin....

New year and a new voice for the Connect Devotional ...

What do you do when people project their Messianic desires on you? ...

Forfeiting the soul doesn’t usually happen in a moment....

Some days, I want the Lord to tell me the direction he wants me to take so that I can decide whether to submit to him or not. This is not his way....

Paul pursues Jesus with all his energy: “straining” and “pressing on.” As he does so, his past has less and less influence on him. Christ comes to rule and reign in his heart....

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God!...

The experience of redemption isn’t complete for us until we’ve responded to Jesus with gratitude....

No one is excluded because of their ethnic background or the place of their birth. We all have an opportunity to be part of Jesus’ kingdom and to thrive under his reign....

A God bigger than our imagination or comprehension will always be shrouded in mystery. He offers us a mystery; he offers us himself....

As we approach Christmas, let’s remember that the baby whose birth we celebrate on this holiday became the King over all. And this gives us cause for great rejoicing....

We aren’t told why God chose this particular place, this particular community. And this is a common experience for us....

Word studies allow us to dig deeply into the meaning of words and their usage in the broader biblical and ancient context....

There’s a fulfillment that happens in the near term and then a second fulfillment that happens down the road....

What do you think God sees when he sees you? ...

From the very start, he’s extraordinary: God who is truly with us....

Who’s going to give us the sign we need to move forward into the uncertain future with confidence?...

How does the Lord set up an eternal kingdom marked with justice and righteousness? ...

A new generation, a new king offered a new start, hope that things can take a turn for the better, that the future might be great....

Light in the darkness … that’s a powerful image for Christmas-time....

The Jesus who pushes us to love across borders did this himself and did this by design....

As we see God’s willingness to include places and people who society considers on the margins, we can feel both sobered and encouraged. ...

Christmas comes every year. In a way, Christmas feels inevitable. As we spiral out and look at history, that feeling persists....

This is a great way to let your curiosity guide you into the biblical text and to create space for the Lord to speak to you in your study of the Bible....

It’s important to pay close attention to the Lord’s engagement in this story. He seeks out the main characters. He listens to them. He responds to them. He stays, well, engaged....

Listening carefully to and believing fully in the words of God protects us and, graciously, restores us. But doubt, confusion, and distrust stand daily at our elbows....

We may not have all the resources we might want ...

We desperately need God’s grace...

We would expect to feel something positive when we’re in the sweet spot of our destiny, even if it isn’t always easy. Perhaps that’s part of the reason God wants us to do good works. ...

Paul wants to protect us from the temptation to take credit for our salvation....

God gives us something we don’t deserve, haven’t earned, and desperately need....

Years ago Alex introduced us to a phrase that offers great insight into this dilemma: “God’s ‘No’ is always in service to his larger ‘Yes.’”...

In Christ, we see God’s persistent initiative. We aren’t left to our own devices. God follows through on his promises....

As we consider God’s faithfulness to Christ as faithfulness to us, we’ll gain confidence that God can be trusted....

We’re going to invite you to meditate on a verse this morning. ...

What does Jesus tell us about God’s character and intentions?...

Generosity will change and shape you. Becoming a generous-hearted person may cost you. Some might take advantage of you. But in the long run, you’ll flourish....

The good and beautiful life is always available to us. We may find ourselves in challenging and desperate situations. We may have moments when we can’t see through the tears. But God is for thriving. And he will make a way for you to experience life and joy … if you are willing....

How can both Nebuchadnezzar and the Lord Almighty carry the people off into exile? ...

Communities frequently have to rise to challenges. They rebuild. They restructure. They forgive. And these challenges leave a mark on the community … in some cases a scar, in others a callous, and in still others a pearl....

Something had changed in Zacchaeus....

Jesus’ every word and phrase can ring in our ears....

What do you expect God to do when he sees you?...

All sorts of things motivate people to seek Jesus: a longing for meaning, a desire for community, curiosity, financial interests, peer pressure … the list goes on and on....

God desires to bless the entire cosmos with life. ...

God loving the world must have come as quite a shock to Nicodemus...

God has given a big gift and, in some ways, taken a big risk, in the hope that we will believe and, in that belief, enter into his family and receive life....

God offers us his committed loyalty and covenant faithfulness....

Take some time today to read the dramatic conclusion of Mephibosheth’s story. Commentators disagree as to what happens with him here....

The Lord’s way of lifting us out of our shame isn’t to create a fiction in which we have nothing of which to be ashamed....

When we walk in step with his Spirit, we find ourselves drawn toward holistic engagement with people in need....

When you think about God, do you think of him as kind?...

Faithfulness to the Lord overflows into kindness toward others. ...

God can make you brave...

You don’t have to be muscular to be strong. You don’t have to be intimidating to be influential. The Lord can do mighty things in and through you if you’re willing to let him guide you in the use of your voice....

What do you do when you’re disrespected?...

David found himself in the in-between part of his story: anointed but not yet ascended to the throne. And those in-between places can be so challenging....

Change and loss can be disorienting to us. We can struggle and veer out of control. These are the times when we most need friends. These are the times when we most need God....

The easy, obvious shortcut that appeared in that cave in En Gedi might not actually have been as strategic as it seemed....

That kind of respect for the office, for David, stemmed directly from his respect for the Lord. ...

Moments like these reveal what’s inside of us. What do we choose to do in the opportune moment?...

Don’t be discouraged. Complex problems are just that. And they can be overcome. ...

The desert is both a challenge and an opportunity...

We easily underestimate the influence we have on others. An idle word or comment or bit of action or inaction can carry outsized cachet. ...

Good Bible readers will float and test theories as to why things are happening in the text and why people say and do the things they do....

Food and water are almost always more than food and water....

History never repeats itself exactly. And the new thing that happens can be remarkable....

Although the Bible is intimately concerned with the highest spiritual themes, it doesn’t shy away from engaging with issues like hunger and thirst....

When we refuse to fight the giant on the giant's terms, the Lord can lead us via creative paths to a meaningful victory....

David spent his youth working as a shepherd. His experience there marked every corner of his life, from his leadership to his spirituality. ...

Faith and courage don't prevent us from experiencing fear and anxiety; instead, they help us to connect with God in the midst of our fear and move forward in the face of our anxiety....

On a day when the virtue of courage is publicly celebrated, perhaps it’s appropriate for us to look close to home for examples of courage. When we find them, we can show honor, express gratitude, and thank God....

We are better together. The Lord has hard-wired us for community, that we thrive when we have meaningful connections. And this also is the best way for us to engage the world for good....

Hope became confidence. Confidence became courage. Courage become action....

David's confidence in the Lord is so central to his identity that it comes spilling out of him even when trash-talking....

David does not let his lack of direct experience disqualify him. David does not presume future success because of his past victory. David is less focused on his qualifications than on the Lord’s presence. ...

A new person jumping into an old, stuck situation with a new perspective (and maybe a little new life) can change history....

When God wants to get us moving again, he has to reframe our relationship with our giants....

Words and speech can be cheap if they aren’t backed by action and truth. ...

Today’s passage circles back around diagnostically. If we feel no pity when faced with a brother or sister in need, something has gone wrong with our relationship with God....

Compassion is the most important action in the face of need....

As a church community, we are blessed to have some in our midst who have material possessions and others who are in need....

We need help to move toward real love. Our love-compass is broken. It spins and spins in circles because the magnetic power of our own neediness overwhelms everything in our orbit. We need Jesus to settle us so that we can love....

Proclaiming the good news about Jesus Christ completes our joy. It satisfies some need deep within us. It terrifies and blesses us. And it can change the world. ...

The purpose of proclamation is connection: connection with each other and, ultimately, with God. Fellowship. ...

Try letting the Holy Spirit guide your reading today...

A co-opted Jesus is not Jesus. He doesn’t work for our political or philosophical schemes. He stands on his own feet. Mash him together with the rest of that and you’ll lose him altogether. ...

Jesus breathes new life into us as his love invites us to live with him in a larger, clearer, brighter world. ...

The clearest picture of love isn’t buried in some corner of the future or hiding in some region of the present. You can see love as easily as you can see your own shadow … if you’ll look....

We need common ground and we need someone else to set it for us....

Our valuation of love can vary as widely as our definitions of it....

The Pharisees look at the individual behavior and not the system behind it. They ask about the disciples’ activity and not their poverty....

Sabbath often brings collisions between our values. What do we do when our values collide?...

Rest requires effort. Rest is not passive. Rest is active and rewarding. And when our restless souls find their rest in God, we thrive....

From God’s initial creative work in the universe work and rest are intertwined....

The Lord provided non-condescending support, guidance, and structure in the Sabbath...

Slaves work day-in and day-out. They have no rest from their labors. But our heavenly Father wants to give us good, good rest....

Our reasons for rest reach back to the ground of creation and the dawn of time. ...

In times of restlessness, the knowledge that the Lord is real and really loves us changes everything....

Some of our restlessness is fueled by our surprise that troubles show up in our lives....

We are at our most realistic when we realize his realness and reallocate our attention accordingly....

Fear can drive restlessness....

The same Lord who gives shelter and security and sleep also gives support to those who dream the dreams he so generously gives....

Every night when you drift off to sleep, you have a powerful reminder that you are loved by God....

There’s almost always more work to do than can ever be done....

The Lord’s will is not bound to ours as if he’s a marionette being pulled by the strings of our activity....

If we think we’re in it all on our own or that our effort is the only effort that matters, when will we ever rest?...

In reading, we experience communal relationships not only with the author but also with others who are listening to the words. ...

What do you do if your father’s instruction and your mother’s teaching don’t feel like a garland to grace your head or a chain to adorn your neck?...

One way to navigate the communications chaos in the world is to set up priority people, people to whom you’ll listen no matter what....

A humble take on our current era can help us pursue wisdom in healthy ways in our generation....

The echo of the proverbial straight path reminds us that trusting Jesus is how we get to holiness, righteousness, and life....

The easiest path isn’t always the most direct one....

How much trust does it take to walk with the Lord for a lifetime?...

The Lord knows what it’s like to experience disappointment. ...

Maybe the struggle isn’t with guidance; maybe the struggle is with trust....

The Lord cares how we live our lives. ...

Our relationship with the Lord can create space for us to have other relationships....

Wholehearted trust in the Lord looks like depending on him rather than your own understanding....

We have so many options for where to place our trust....

We don’t just pursue wisdom for our sake. When we get wisdom, everyone around us gets blessed....

You can choose who you spend time with and how you will allow them to influence you....

You’ve been entrusted with something precious....

If we want to grow in wisdom, we need to spend time with those who have wisdom. ...

What do you picture when you picture walking with the wise? ...

Don’t turn your mind off when seeking the Lord. He’s the source of all the brilliance that dwells inside you....

Wisdom and Wealth are not enemies....

You don’t have to already be wise to gain wisdom....

God’s reaching out to us makes it possible for us to reach back out to him with hope and confidence....

Wisdom will watch over, protect, and guard our hearts according to Proverbs. But what does that look like? How can we guard our hearts?...

Which path do we want to walk?...

What makes wisdom so valuable?...

Wisdom emerges from relationships: relationship with your context, with your community and with your heart....

God’s invitation to us is to receive free, healthy, wildly-alive hearts. Jesus came to give us hearts that fill our lives with life. Walking wisely with him requires us to tend thoughtfully to the condition of our spiritual and emotional lives....

All the good we do in the world in the name of this particular King must be done in love....

What if this new way of seeing the world got its light from relationships rather than from obedience to rules?...

Don’t let the commandments take the place of God....

We may want to have a different set of conversations with the people we love or a different way of engaging with our local community. But we have to start where we can start....

Ask yourself: “Of all the _______, which is the most important?” Pause for a beat and reflect on what your answer reveals about you and your perspective....

What does this prayer show me about the way I think about God and feel about this person for whom I’m praying?...

There’s something powerful that happens when we pull our affection into our awareness and communicate it to another person....

Paul feels the way about his friends in Philippi that mothers often do for their children....

The work won’t reach completion for a while. But don’t lose heart. God loves you and won’t let you go....

Joy fills our prayers and our hearts and spills out from our faces as we go to the places God sends us with the people he gives us....

Jesus doesn’t just serve; he empowers us to serve....

Learning the secret of contentment requires relationship....

Contentment always seems to be just around the corner and just out of reach....

When we rest in the security of contentment we can be available to truly see and respond to the needs of people around us....

Don’t let guilt or shame over past inaction keep you from making a difference in the future. ...

The ultimate destiny and goal and end of all strength is service....

Serving always requires strength....

There’s something special about pausing for a beat to study on your own....

The hard and joyful work of the soul that’s alive to God in Christ is to serve anyways. Where we can. When we can. And to be gentle with ourselves when we just can’t....

The example Jesus gives us lands in the midst of God’s empowering work in our lives....

Sorry to flood your inbox, but I just remembered that I wanted to add something....

When we’re included in Christ, new bonds spring into existence between us and each and every individual who is connected with God....

Human connection is an essential element for Christian social engagement. It’s what makes Christian social engagement distinctly Christian....

Love doesn’t preclude passing laws, boycotting, protesting, or engaging in activism. Love shapes the way we do all of these things. ...

This week we’re going to be studying a whole book of the Bible. Sure, it’s only one chapter. But that still counts!...

Amazing things happen when we obey God....

Ananias needed to see differently before he could do differently. ...

The reason Jesus includes Ananias has little or nothing to do with Ananias and a lot to do with Jesus....

Comfort and Challenge with Jesus...

The resurrection changes everything....

Why might there be no needy persons in a faith community?...

Our most important question in life kicks in here: What is God like? ...

When we forget the resurrection reality and treat Jesus as a dusty historical figure, our experience of connection and impetus for generosity begin to fade. We lose perspective. Our petty differences take on an exaggerated significance....

Unity precedes generosity. And generosity always follows unity....

As you read, allow the Lord to direct your attention to a word or phrase that describes this new community....

Saying “Yes” to Jesus’ challenges is our best path to peace and joy....

We’re hoping that each of us and everyone who visits a church would have a meaningful moment with Jesus this weekend. We want to experience that joy....

Use the negative image to grow your appreciation for what actually happened....

What would you expect Jesus to say to you if you met him today? Digging into that question can give you a flash of insight into a) how you see Jesus and b) how you see yourself....

Wherever you are, God can meet you there. He can meet you when no one else wants to listen to you. He can meet you even when you doubt....

One way we can lift our voices to glorify God is to talk to people about him. This could involve sharing your story of God’s work in your life, telling someone about something you’re learning about God, or directly inviting someone to connect with God....

In today’s passage, Jesus points to a very important truth: God is worthy of our praise. ...

When you’re swept into the worship of God, lifted to the heights of prayer, plunged into the depths of scripture, filled with zeal for justice … those are always the moments when the pharisaical voices begin to ring in our hearts....

When you’re swept into the worship of God, lifted to the heights of prayer, plunged into the depths of scripture, filled with zeal for justice … those are always the moments when the pharisaical voices begin to ring in our hearts....

This is not what the crowd expected....

Anyone can say the words. ...

What do you do when you bump into things Jesus says or does that you don’t approve of, don’t understand, or don’t enjoy? ...

We’re invited by God today to witness the friendliness of Jesus....

What we do in the face of emotional whiplash and deep disappointment makes all the difference in the world. ...

This week, as we explore Jesus’ interaction with the friends of the paralytic and the crowd that had gathered to hear him teach, we’ll have an opportunity to listen to Jesus for ourselves....

They would do whatever it takes to get their friend to Jesus....

These aren’t the only times or the only ways to bring people to Jesus. But some of us need a nudge....

When Jesus healed the paralyzed man in response to the faith of the man’s radical friends, a bunch of different people had a bunch of different decision to make....

In spiritual friendship, we connect in meaningful ways with another person and, ultimately, through that relationship, with God....

How might this influence our relationships with people with whom we might disagree? ...

Our view of who God is shapes our view of who we are and, consequently, influences all of our relationships....

Over and against bland or brutal or brief unity, Paul presents the unity of the Spirit....

A non-comprehensive yet challenging list of ways to live a life worthy of the calling we’ve received...

We’ve been invited, summoned, called into the life and mission and kingdom of God....

When we become who God invites us to become we benefit from the growth and we bless our broader community....

Rapid expansion doesn’t repudiate smallness. In fact, smallness is a necessary and significant element of the life of Christian community....

Growth brings change. Change brings challenges. Challenges bring choices....

God isn’t afraid to start small. That’s how he always does it. ...

What’s your willingness to wrestle with God as you come into this week? ...

Nothing can help us connect with difficult people quite like the presence of Jesus....

So often our hesitations about the people we distrust have as much to do with our own fears and pride as anything having to do with “them.” ...

Apart from Jesus, none of these disciples would have received an invite to Levi’s party … and none of these disciples would have had access to Levi’s social network....

Jesus packed a riot into a small group. And that small group changed the world....

Tax collectors in Judea in the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry had remarkably complex jobs....

Healthy small groups will connect us to people we wouldn’t ordinarily connect with thought means we wouldn’t ordinarily use in ways that radically challenge us to mature and grow. ...

The remarkable thing about the men was that they had been with Jesus (see Acts 4:13)....

Did Jesus and the Twelve know some secret to group dynamics and community structure?...

From the very beginning Jesus’ small group had a mission. ...

He could share more with them by living life with them than by lecturing them....

Our participation in service gives us a deeper appreciation of the salvation that Jesus bought for us. That salvation works deeper into our souls as a result. And we’re transformed....

You’re more likely to find the truly great person by looking for someone serving. You’re more likely to grow into true greatness in your own life by looking for opportunities to serve....

We have an opportunity to practice the discipline of trust. We can relax into the watchful care of our wise God....

Imagine Jesus turned to you and asked you: “What do you want me to do for you?” ...

As we pour out our hearts to him, he hears us and responds in love. That doesn’t always mean giving us what we ask for, but it always means giving us his best....

God’s invitation to “together” is the only pathway to “better.”...

There’s no sending without authority and there's no authority without sending....

We need to be “together” in our pursuit of the “better.”...

Why didn’t Jesus send them out as one big group?...

As Jesus continued to faithfully visit town after town ...

Following Jesus does, at times, come with a cost. He doesn’t offer us cheap discipleship....

Jesus’ invitation to follow him requires us time and time again to leave our nets, to leave behind even the good things that will distract us from following him....

What do you do when you come to one of Jesus’ metaphors?...

Jesus flips the script. He calls uneducated fishermen. He initiates the relationship. And that changes how the whole thing would work....

Every movement has a starting place....

Don’t miss his purpose. Don’t miss his invitation....

The dance between his Father and his friends, between solitary prayer and community life, that created an environment that was primed for Jesus to discover and rediscover his purpose....

Jesus’ decision to move on to other towns and villages to preach meant that he wouldn’t be able to stick around to enjoy the honor and gratitude of all of the people he had directly and indirectly helped....

God the Son ...

How does the tug of popularity pull on your heart? ...

Our world is thirsty for “green grass,” for places where people can sit down together and connect with each other in meaningful ways....

Don’t ever think that your small loaf of bread and your few fish aren’t enough to make a difference....

Great Bible study involves letting your imagination roam through a text, seeking understanding and insight....

Watch out for God’s great compassion! His compassion will change the course of history. His compassion can transform your life....

There’s a rest that comes from quiet and a rest that comes from depending on Jesus. We, like Jesus’ disciples, need both....

A lot of us feel the speed of time as we close out another year. Where did 2017 go? ...

A lot of us feel the speed of time as we close out another year. Where did 2017 go? ...

Anna’s story reminds us of much we already know but easily forget in the busyness of life....

Anna’s story reminds us of much we already know but easily forget in the busyness of life....

In the presence of Jesus the ordinary power structures of the world get flipped on their head. ...

Something came alive in Simeon when he met Jesus....

Listen for any part of this story that warms your heart toward God and that sparks joy in your soul....

When you connect with Jesus, joy follows....

All too often we bump right up to the threshold of joy and turn back because we see rough wood and straw and very little gold. We need to pay closer attention to find joy, to find our Savior in the manger....

The shockwave of this good news wraps great joy around the world. Can you feel it? ...

Knowing that you may encounter opportunities to be terrified on your path toward joy allows you to summon your courage and look to the Lord for strength to stay engaged....

We can look back on this ordinary night and see that any ordinary moment is a moment that could be pregnant with potential for a miracle....

Taking a word or phrase like this and reflecting on it and meditating on it (like we did right here) can be a great spiritual discipline. ...

God invites us to be his children before he invites us to anything else. ...

Don’t miss the full picture of the salvation that God has for us in Jesus Christ!...

The presence of God in our midst is good news to us....

John was going to lead an extraordinary life. But he would be eclipsed by Jesus....

God can be at work in our lives that fit the patterns we’ve seen in the lives of other. But he can also break the mold....

Mary had a deep sense that God’s new work in the world at Christmas would turn the world upside down....

God’s work doesn’t start with us. ...

Rejoicing sparked by gratitude does something powerful in our souls....

When the emotion is too great to convey in mere words, characters in a musical will sing out. ...

Presence and affection. This is what love looks like....

For us to become a people of deep faith, we need to attend carefully to the stories of God’s faithfulness in the lives of the people around us....

In the virgin birth we see the extraordinary and miraculous lengths God will go to for the sake of a relationship....

“A simple translation correction,” we think, “could clear up all this confusion.” Except that it doesn’t....

God meets us in the real world. ...

How would it change your relationship with Jesus if you came to believe in him in the midst of a feast that had been marked by this miracle: turning water into wine?...

As Vanessa Williams sang a long time ago: “Just when I thought a chance had passed, you went and saved the best for last.” And that’s just what Jesus did....

Just as God can take the ordinary and make it extraordinary, he can take the sacred and make it holy....

Jesus kept the party going....

God wants to be present in every corner of our lives....

There’s so much packed into this one tiny verse. ...

Switchtracks reveal something about the person with whom we’re speaking. What we do with these switchtracks matters....

She had such a hard time seeing beyond her thirst. And so do we....

We don’t like to be vulnerable, to expose our needs to strangers, or to be the one asking for help. We’d much rather give answers....

Jesus’ need to go through Samaria had nothing to do with logistics and travel efficiency and everything to do with his mission to seek and save the lost....

Our obsession with being right keeps us from being loving and, in effect, keeps us from experiencing full and deep and rich intimacy with Jesus....

Doing this requires courage....

All too often our conversations across religious divides devolve into petty arguments....

People feel strongly about their gods....

In our time of need, we need to know that God is at work restraining evil. He’s not absent. He isn’t on vacation or taking a nap. He’s fully engaged....

Bad stuff can tempt us to bad behavior....

Jesus doesn’t just feel sorry for us; he shares our emotional state....

Centering our hope on Jesus and holding firmly to our faith allows us to reject the unhealthy options that present themselves to us in our times of crisis....

When bad things happen, we can find our faith shaken. We trust the Lord, but that trust gets tested. And that’s okay....

Even the most rational and intellectual among us sway under the weight of our hearts....

The Bible’s glory is a reflected glory: the beauty of the moon, not the beauty of the sun. But in these dark days, we can feel grateful for a full moon shining brightly and guiding our footsteps....

On Easter Sunday, Jesus had been raised from the dead, but his followers and friends were still deciding if they were going to believe the news. How would you help these folks believe that Jesus was alive?...

Throughout the Bible we see the story of God and his people told honestly, warts and all....

As followers of Jesus, we trust the Bible and allow it to guide both our lives and our community because we believe that the Bible speaks faithfully about Jesus....

Anyone can be your neighbor....

The good news in Jesus Christ is that God’s acceptance of us doesn’t depend on our performance for him....

Stories like these have the ability slip past our defenses. They challenge us without being obnoxious. They give us space to consider a different point of view....

We’re at our worst when we put our church or our family or our politics above our connection with Jesus. ...

Jesus desires to offer relationship and not just answers. ...

When we come to Jesus with our questions, we shouldn’t be surprised when he challenges us in return....

If Jesus answered the question but not the expectations underlying it, John’s emotional turmoil might continue....

Don't keep your questions to yourself, allowing it to smolder and burn up your insides. ...

Take some time today to listen to the questions people ask about God, faith, religion, and spirituality...

The God we see revealed in Jesus is a God who can handle our questions, a God who loves being asked questions....

Throughout your life you will encounter people who in moments of foolishness mean to do you harm. Don’t wrap your life around them....

We all have times in our lives when we slip through the garden and grab for forbidden fruit and play God. ...

Many of us couldn’t forgive others from our hearts except that God is at work in and around us....

In our relationships with God we’re the recipients of his radical and surprising mercy. ...

When in your life have you been the recipient of words of blessing, of someone with authority in your life commenting on your past, your character, or your potential?...

Everyone is surprised by mercy. ...

We need someone to rescue us from our slavery to anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, and pride....

God can work in a thousand ways to transform the way we see the people who’ve hurt us....

Our past experiences of trauma can trigger strong reactions in us....

Justice doesn’t have to come at the expense of your soul....

This is a God who is worthy to be praised. ...

Don’t let anyone convince you that you have nothing to offer. And don’t let the spirit of comparison creep into your heart. Bring to the table exactly what God has given you and do so joyously....

We’ve seen time and time again how our community generously responds to neighbors in crisis and global needs. We’ve made sacrifices to help others. And it’s so worth it....

The myth of the self-made, bootstrap-pulling, hard-working, independent hero stumbles in seasons like these....

Tremendous pressures pile up to move the wheels of the world and of our lives....

Pause for a moment and thank God for putting the right people in your life in decisive moments. ...

The ongoing rumblings in Joseph’s heart foreshadow an upcoming work of God in Joseph’s life....

Joseph leaned in and was faithful to do the work God had given him to do....

Joseph wants to rely on God. And that’s what makes him extraordinary....

Don’t lose hope if you can’t chart a clear course from where you are today to where you hope to be....

Awareness of God’s activity can boost your God-confidence....

As you navigate difficult situations and relationships, God's presence can fill you with tremendous confidence....

Joseph’s past and his present collided. He had a decision to make....

All too often we get so busy doing our good work that we forget to connect with the people who God has placed in our path....

As God poured his blessings out on Joseph, the cupbearer and the baker benefitted as well. This can also happen to us in hard times....

What happens inside of us when we see people punished for showing integrity? ...

God gave blessings and God gave boundaries. Joseph knew that he couldn’t accept one without the other....

With success comes challenge....

The Lord’s blessing on the household didn’t remove Joseph’s challenges, but they did change his experience....

Your prospering doesn’t ultimately depend on your circumstances....

Though God is not mentioned once in Genesis 37, we later discover that he was at work all throughout this painful and difficult episode....

Let’s refuse to participate in the destructive practice of dehumanization....

Our dreams can reveal our areas of immaturity, as can our way of communicating them. ...

Favoritism is one of many broken relational patterns that separate us from each other....

We can’t rid ourselves of our automatic habit of capturing first impressions as we meet new people, but we can cultivate habits of attention that allow us to look beyond those initial judgements....

The Lord constantly works through communities. For every great figure in the story of our faith, we also find the Lord sending them friends....

As God’s blessings pile up in and around us, we need to share them with others. Only then will God’s blessings to us be complete....

God holds up his side of the covenant. Though his covenant purposes advance over rocky terrain, they advance nonetheless....

God's invitation stands. It’s our turn to respond. What will we do?...

The adventure of life with God gives us healing and joy and blessing, but it also stretches us. We leave familiar territory, relationships, programs, and narratives behind when we launch out into this adventure....

What if the craziness we feel when we’re crazy busy is due to having two different songs playing inside of us: the drumbeat of eternity and the roar of busyness?...

God has made everything beautiful in its time. Even us. ...

Without meaning, work becomes miserable and we lose our drive....

This burst of poetry reaches out and connects with our hearts. We’re given space to connect viscerally and emotionally with God’s truth about the seasonal nature of life....

God does huge things in our lives when we shift from Now-Or-Never Thinking to Season Thinking....

The Lord is the one who makes known to us the paths of life....

Contentment is the fruit of a soul who’s put down roots in the generosity of God....

We love hard work. We work hard. But the Lord is the one who holds our ultimate security....

Other gods make big promises if only we’ll worship them. They give us benefits in the short-term (sometimes). But over time these gods fail us. And we suffer more and more as a result of our bondage to them....

Lean more heavily on God when times get hard....

Calling out to God changes us for the better. ...

In order to pursue your God-given great work, you need to make more than just one good decision; you need to string together a series of good decisions....

Don’t give in to the temptation to compare your great work to others....