Have you ever been disappointed by unmet expectations? I remember a day in my childhood when I built up an expectation but never voiced it, and it led to my disappointment. (7 Minutes/1900 Words)
Read moreJesus Joy (Mark 2:9-22)
By this point in Mark, it has become increasingly clear that Jesus' coming was a massive event. He was not just another leader with fresh religious claims. He did not come with some good advice. He did not come to tinker. (13 Minutes/3000 Words)
Read moreJesus Has Authority Over All Spiritual Uncleanness (Mark 1:35-45)
Mark doesn't refer often to Jesus' prayer life, but when he does Jesus is alone, and his ministry is in the balance. In the garden of Gethsemane, Mark presents Jesus praying to bolster his determination to get the kingdom through the means of his death on the cross (Mark 14:36). After feeding the 5,000, a time John tells us they wanted to take him by force and make him king, Jesus went up to the mountain to pray alone (Mark 6:45-52). (6 Minutes/1500 Words)
Read moreJesus Has Authority Over All Invisible Forces (Mark 1:21-28)
Every person has guides who help them navigate life. All of us have authoritative voices that help us decide how to live. What the disciples of Jesus would quickly begin learning is that Jesus should be our authoritative guide. (7 Minutes/1800 Words)
Read moreThe Life of David: Loving Your Enemies (1 Samuel 24)
Jesus taught hard, radical things. During his sermon on the mount, he said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’” (Matthew 5:43). It seems that, by the time of Christ, the religious leaders had taken the Old Testament command to ‘love your neighbor’ to mean one should also hate their enemy. Their teaching was, of course, a perversion of God’s word. Jesus corrected, and then addended their teaching. “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). (15 Minutes, 4000 Words)
Read moreHow To Love God's People - Part 2 (1 John 3:13-16)
Today, we will look at the third, fourth, and fifth lessons from the passage 1 John 3:11-18, on how to love, especially how to love God's people. (7 Minutes/1700 Words)
Read moreThe Test of a True Believer -- Love God's People (1 John 2:6-8)
Here, we have the next claim. "Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked"(2:6). In this assertion, the person who said they were abiding in God should live a life resembling the life of Christ! It is astounding to think of living like Jesus, but John believes it possible. (9 Minutes/2300 Words)
Read moreThe Life of David: Secret Preparation (1 Samuel 16:1-13)
For many years, David has been one of my favorite Bible characters. He has become a friend to turn to, and his life has encouraged mine. Because the texts explaining his life are precious to me, I am going to write a series of articles on the early years of David's life and will release these teachings about once per month. I pray God ministers to your heart as we inspect His word. (10 Minutes/2800 Words)
Read moreGoal #1 of First John: Proclaim the True Jesus
As we saw in last week's introductory 1 John post, false teachers had crept into the early church. John could not stand idly by and let these deceivers talk about Jesus as if they knew Him. John had to step up to the plate and defend the historical and actual Jesus and share about His Master, Friend, Teacher, and Savior. (8 Minutes/2000 Words)
Read moreJesus Christ: The Ultimate Man - Part 2
This is not the title I normally use of Jesus. Perhaps I've developed an allergy to the title after hearing many say, "Jesus was a good teacher, a prophet, but not God." I reject that. He is God who became flesh to dwell among us (John 1:14). Still, he is the greatest prophet who ever walked the earth. (6 Minutes/1400 Words)
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