Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
[Jesus said to her,] “You’ve had five husbands, and the man you are with now isn’t your husband. You’ve spoken the truth.” The woman said, “Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain…” – John 4:18-20a We want to change the subject when things get intense. Jesus, encountering a …
Peter asked her, “Tell me, did you and your husband receive this price for the field?” She responded, “Yes, that’s the amount.” He replied, “How could you scheme with each other to challenge the Lord’s Spirit? Look! The feet of those who buried your husband are at the door. They will carry you out too.” At …
They were all surprised and bewildered. Some asked each other, “What does this mean?” Others jeered at them, saying, “They’re full of new wine!” – Acts 2:12-13 It’s been my experience there are two types of commentators in the world of sports. In golf, for example, when a player is faced with a difficult shot, one …
“Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I’m about to spit you out of my mouth.” – Revelation 3:16 A young pitcher was facing the Cardinals’ Stan Musial, the hottest hitter in baseball, for the first time. He shook off all the signs from his catcher. Mystified, the catcher asked for time and …
Praise God in his mighty acts! Praise God as suits his incredible greatness!…Let every living thing praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! – Psalm 150:2,6 Probably most of us wish we could have a mulligan, a do-over, for 2020. COVID-19. Racism. Bitter politics. National division. Shaky economy. Other than that, it’s been a great year. We don’t …
We must celebrate with feasting because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life! He was lost and is found!’ – Luke 15:23b-24a Luke, chapter 15: A widow loses a coin, a shepherd a sheep, and a father a son. All three grieve. Something of value has been lost, and there’s agitation and …
“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure that somebody hid in a field, which someone else found and covered up. Full of joy, the finder sold everything and bought that field.” – Matthew 13:44 This one-verse parable stresses that the new way of living offered by Jesus is worth more than anything else in …
Naaman went away in anger. He said, “I thought for sure that he’d come out, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the bad spot, and cure the skin disease.” – 2 Kings 5:11 Most white Christians are avowed anti-racists. Those of us who fit that category want the …
He replied, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” – Matthew 22:37-40 One …
Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses on account of the Cushite woman whom he had married—for he had married a Cushite woman. They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” The Lord heard it. Now the man Moses was humble, more so than anyone on earth. – Numbers 12:1-3 These verses are a soap opera …