Author Archives: John Avery

About John Avery

I am a Bible teacher and author of The Name Quest (Explore the names of God to grow in faith and get to know Him better). I write these Bible devotions in the hope that they will foster spiritual maturity and help people to grow in faith. I live in Oregon and enjoy hiking and cross country skiing.

The Good Vintage

Recent events at Asbury University have raised questions: At what point do we label something revival? Is it simply that large numbers of people gather because of reports that God is touching lives? Or are other things necessary? Social Media causes reports to go viral as soon as crowds descend on a place for more […]

Special Offer: Through March, only $9.99

(Normal Price $12.99) BUY YOURS – CLICK HERE What is the kingdom of God? Why is the kingdom of heaven such good news for us? And how do we live the kingdom lifestyle? How did Jesus intend us to seek first the kingdom of God? This collection of thirty-eight short devotional Bible studies contemplates those […]

Private Obedience

“It makes for a harmonious marriage,” they said. “She will respect you more if you involve her in every decision,” they said. Yeah. Right! But my father Terah and the other elders had never had to reckon with the Lord. They had a settled life; since leaving Haran, mine had been an unpredictable journey. The […]

An Opportunity?

It’s awkward to feel uncomfortable in a meeting while being unable to figure out exactly why. I muddled my way through one, but I wish I had come up with a better response. Sometimes analyzing a situation and our feelings takes time. Here’s what happened. The presenter invited us to introduce ourselves in what, for […]

Follow Me

There is no such thing as arriving. If an individual or group ever thinks they are close to the stable, mature, well-functioning ideal that they have longed for and worked towards, they are probably fossilizing. Jesus keeps moving; that’s why we are called to follow—beyond failures, through responsibilities and sacrifices, ignoring distractions. Jesus’ three-part conversation […]

Rebooting the Recruits

Actions speak louder than words. Jesus used action to reveal Himself to several disciples after His resurrection. Two travelers to Emmaus recognized Him only as He broke bread with them.1 Thomas surrendered when he saw the open wounds in His risen body.2 More happened on a fishing trip in Galilee. Six disciples, including James and […]

Kings and Stars

Kings and stars guide all of us on our journeys with God. Kings represent human factors; stars, the divine. We must learn to recognize the difference between them and give each factor its due weight. The magi who went to worship the Christ child are an example of how it works. Imagine them arriving in […]

Dance Partners

Watching God’s dance partners is the best way to learn about dancing with God. I hope we all have individuals around us who live as Jesus lived, observing what God is doing and responding with their small parts. For now, let’s watch Philip and Peter in the book of Acts. Both men were already dancing […]

Dancing with God

Let’s face it, God does the bulk of the positive and spiritually significant work in the world; our parts are miniscule. Yet He involves us. How is that? Perhaps we can liken it to a dance for couples, a dance comprised of set steps that can be arranged in different sequences as the lead dancer […]