My senior years at high school were spent writing essays. Teachers believed that the best preparation for university was learning to research a subject and condense the findings into carefully structured arguments. It worked well, except when students missed the point. Then the red ink appeared: “Answer the question!” If the disciples had been more […]
Luke chapter fifteen contains a set of three parables about rejoicing. The first two have three important elements: something lost, a loser, and a celebration when the loser finds the lost. Jesus asks the men and women listening to imagine that they have each lost a sheep or a coin. When they find it they […]
How do you respond to setbacks or blocked goals? For me, it depends on the situation. But if my project meets resistance, or a successful ministry appears to be in decline, I start to hear a little voice. It nags me about personal inadequacy or failure. It makes me mad. I understand anger as a […]
What do you think? Are anger and violence expressions of power or of weakness? Moses explosive outburst against an Egyptian slave-driver was about as fruitful as an expensive firework. The loss of a taskmaster didn’t weaken pharaoh. The Hebrews sneered. Moses ran for his life. How counterproductive our self-efforts can be! Now it came about […]
Story time was over. The keel of the fishing boat ground into the gravel along the shore and the men stopped rowing. Jesus climbed over the side and paddled to the beach. As He and the disciples gathered their gear and prepared to go back to the house to rest, one of the disciples raised […]
I find it sobering that one of the best biblical examples of successful ministry looks so different from my efforts. I’m probably not unusual in my preparation for speaking or leading a Bible study. Some messages take me several hours of Bible reading, research, and prayer before I am even ready to compile my rough […]
Answering [Bartimaeus], Jesus said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!” And Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road. (Mark 10:51-52) Jesus’ question to Bartimaeus, the blind beggar of Jericho, […]
Fifteen miles is a long way on a tired mount, especially when belief and unbelief are wrestling inside us. The royal official was riding through that transitional world between faith and sight that we all have to navigate. He had set off yesterday from Capernaum climbing the steep trail to Cana. Jesus was there and […]
Blessings come in many flavors. Jacob received two in his life. The first came as the result of trickery encouraged by a spiritually weak mother. He disguised himself enough to fool his blind father, Isaac, into thinking that he was blessing his eldest son, Esau. Isaac spoke these words: Then his father Isaac said to […]
Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned? It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. (Luke 14:34-35) Forget the tiny white grains that you sprinkle on your food. In Bible times, long […]