~ Luke 18:9-14/2 Chronicles 7:9-14 ~ Sometimes I’m tempted to pray…OK, I confess, I have prayed such a prayer: “I thank you, God, that I’m not like those people who thank God they’re not like other people.” Ah, the seduction of spiritual pride. In the volatile, outrageous, and angry climate … Read More
Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me … Read More
~ Luke 17:11-19/Jeremiah 29:4-7 ~ Thus says the God of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, … Read More
~ Luke 17:5-10/Habakkuk 2:1-4 ~ So the disciples say to Jesus, “Increase our faith!” Seems like a completely legitimate thing to ask. Doesn’t every sincere Christian want to have more faith? And God knows we never have enough faith. These disciples, particularly, might have felt their faith was lacking because … Read More
~ Luke 16:19-31/Amos 6:1, 4-7 ~ The history of the world is replete with walls. Walls for all kinds of purposes. There are fortress walls, built to defend against invaders. European medieval castles, great sandstone fortresses in Mali, frontier stockades, the Great Wall of China – all designed to keep … Read More
~ Psalm 55:1-8/James 1:2-4, 12 ~ Introduction In the genre of “Christian” movies, it’s probably the best of them all. Of course, it wasn’t produced to be a Christian movie. The Coen brothers would never think in such terms. After all, they’ve made some decidedly not “Christian” movies, such as … Read More