If you get angry, count to ten…

Mark Twain’s version was, “When angry, count to four; when very angry, swear.” Are Christians ever allowed to get that angry? In Acts 13:6–12, we see Paul get angry. Elymas, a false prophet, knowingly placed himself between the gospel message and a searching soul....

Denying Jesus

Who stole the cookie from the cookie jar? Not me! That’s a fun song for small children, but when the question is, “Who is a Christian?” how shall we answer? The answer is of paramount personal importance. In John 18, Peter denies Jesus three times (vv. 17, 25, and...

The Forest and the trees

In high school, we read Leaf by Niggel by J.R.R Tolkien. I completely missed the point of the story. The main character focuses on painting perfect leaves rather than the forest. I thought Niggel’s missing the “big picture” was actually the “big picture” of...

He Goes to Church?!

You don’t expect to see some people in the church building. Maybe they are notorious in town, perhaps they were the school bully, or maybe they stole your date for prom. Think about that person. Now imagine them going to church. What does it tell you if that person is...

Most Likely to Fail

When I was in high school, the end of the year brought the superlatives. Someone made a list with, “Most likely to ____.” Generally, they were positive and highlighted positive future accomplishments. Others were just cruel, “Most likely to fail.” Cruel. During Jesus’...

We Have No King But Caesar

Happy New Year’s Day! Today is a day of thanksgiving that 2020 is behind us. Today is a day of hope that 2021 will be better than the last. Today is a day of promise that many start resolutions. What sort of resolutions are you making this year? In John 19:16, Pilate...

Courage

People jump out of perfectly good airplanes. That may be a display of courage, but an equally strong argument could be made for recklessness. What is your view of skydiving? It certainly takes trust in the equipment, the packing, the reserve chute. It takes courage to...

How Much Evidence Do You Need?

There are some things people just won’t believe, despite the evidence. Perhaps they reject the evidence. Maybe they don’t like the conclusion drawn from the evidence. It might even be that they fabricate evidence contrary to the truth. Reasonable people, however, draw...

Seeking the Wrong Jesus

“Bring me a rock.” I hated getting taskings like this. We went and found a “rock,” only to find out the boss wanted a rounder rock, or smoother, or purple. We wondered if the rock we found was the right one. Of course, the military seldom looks for rocks, but some...

A Prayer

Holy God, You Who are Creator of All That Is, You Who are Love’s source and example, You Who are the great I am, You who are the eternal comforter, and You who are Redeemer of mankind through the ages – past, present, and future – please hear this prayer. You are...

New Testament

If Not Now, Then When?

If Not Now, Then When?

When is the best time to plant a tree? Several years ago. When is the next best time? Right now. If you keep putting off planting a tree, it will never grow. So if you are thinking about planting a tree, now is better than never. In Acts 8:36, the Ethiopian eunuch...

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A Simple Question

A Simple Question

Sometimes people are highly motivated to learn something new. It could be house repair, a foreign language, or how to cook a soufflé. With all of the resources available to us via the internet, we can literally have someone show us how to do these things at any time...

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Such a small thing.

Such a small thing.

A tempest in a teapot. Making a mountain out of a molehill. All hat, no cattle. Never mind, the last doesn’t belong with the first two, but it is so easy to make a big deal about a minor point. In Acts 8:14-17, we read about when the Samaritan Christians received the...

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Old Testament

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