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When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to Him, "They have no more wine" ...His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you" (John 2:3,5). "Here, let me do that for you." "Let me talk to your teacher for you." "I can pay that bill for you." "Text me when you get there." Aww, the helicopter parent. It's natural to help, even hover over our babies and toddlers...
Keep ReadingMark 3:20-34 (please take a few moments to read this passage now) Our second mother-and-son passage for this week is in Mark 3. Jesus' mother and brothers have become concerned that Jesus has gone more than a bit overboard. Mark is straightforward: His family says, "He is out of his mind." It's a tense scene: Jesus is being mobbed by eager listeners, and is at the same ...
Keep ReadingJohn 2:1-12 (please take a few moments to read this passage now) This week, as we continue looking at Your Messy, Beautiful Family, we'll be listening to two stories of Jesus with his mother (and Happy Mother's Day ahead to all our moms, grandmoms, spiritual mothers and all Important Women!). With two passages for this week, we'll do a Part One today on John 2 and a Par...
Keep ReadingThe Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father" (Romans 8: 15). As a father, sometimes the family language in the Bible can be a bit tricky for me. Relationships with our families, especially fathers, can often be messy. When Paul bri...
Keep ReadingThis resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to usan unbelievable inheritance! We g...
Keep Reading"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirshei...
Keep ReadingFor you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear (Romans 8:15). Last week, my husband and 16-month old granddaughter were lying together on the grass. As a ladybug walked on his arm, Scott showed Emma the insect. Far from being intrigued, she moved quickly away in fear. Scott brushed off the ladybug and rescued the panicked Emma. Up off the ground and...
Keep ReadingFor those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption [into God's family]. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father," the Spirit himself testifying withour spirit that we are God's children (Romans 8:14-16). Welcome to a new w...
Keep ReadingSome men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on" (Mark 2:3,4). My father-in-law is a retired manager of a national wildlife refuge, and while there it wasn't uncommon for hiker...
Keep ReadingSome men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven" (Mark 2:3-5). My kids used to play with...
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