~ Luke 12:49-56/Isaiah 5:1-7 ~ People don’t like this Jesus! This isn’t the Jesus who is all about love and peace. This Jesus doesn’t seem to be very nice. This is a contradictory Jesus. This Jesus asks: “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth?” … Read More
~ Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 ~ I’m eight years old and I’m at worship in the little white Pentecostal Church in our town. It’s the prayer-time part of the service and I’m on my knees next to my mom. All around me I hear the rumbling of prayer. It is a … Read More
~ Hosea 11:1-11/Luke 12:13-21 ~ Sometimes parents have reason to believe their sons or daughters have been stricken with the serious condition known as “thick skulls.” The primary symptom? There is no getting through to them. Thick skulls quite effectively screen out any attempt by the parent to influence the … Read More
~ Luke 11:1-13/Romans 8:24-28 ~ Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray. How do you pray? Some people pray only in church. Some people pray every day, in private devotions or all day long – a continual “pray without ceasing” exercise. Some people pray at meals; some before bed with … Read More
~ Luke 10:38-42 ~ I want to make a confession: I’m married to a Martha. No, wait – that isn’t the confession. My confession is that sometimes I take advantage of the fact that my wife is a Martha. No, that’s not true either. I almost always take advantage of … Read More
Image: The Good Samaritan ~ Vincent van Gogh ~ Luke 10:25-36 ~ Stripped down to its bare essentials, this is what Christian faith is all about: Love God and love your neighbor. Indeed, as Christianity, of late, tries to sort out what the important stuff is there is a refocusing … Read More