In the gospel of John, Jesus makes several “I am” statements, and, in John 6:1-13, we read of Jesus miraculously feeding several thousand individuals five barley loves and two fish. The people respond to this miracle by concluding that Jesus is the fulfillment of Deuteronomy of 18:18, and they want to make him a political Continue reading

We are familiar with the first several verses of I Corinthians 10 where Paul draws parallels between the events of the Old Testament and the kingdom of the New. He states that the events of the Old Testament serve as examples to us, teaching us to avoid the same temptations into which those forerunners fell. Continue reading

Where do I fit into the work of the church? I might look at what others are contributing and think, “I can’t do that,” “I don’t have the resources of that person,” and I might talk myself out doing what I can after comparing myself to others. We might be unable to see where there Continue reading

Many of us use business cards to identify who we are and what we do. They serve to help us remind people of us when they have need for a specific service. In Japan, one treats a business card with respect and honor because the businessman tries to conduct himself with respect and honor. It Continue reading

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus speaks of His followers in terms of light – light that is visible to others in the good works they demonstrate. Light guides us in the darkness. Lights line our streets at night. Lights help guide airplane pilots in landing. Light draws attention. Our light should draw attention and guide others Continue reading

We are usually willing to help others, but we are seldom willing to inconvenience one’s self or give something important up in doing so. Jesus talks about this principle in Matthew 5:38-48, calling on us, as children of God (verse 45), to go an extra mile and giving of ourselves in helping others. We should Continue reading

We sometimes take time to ourselves where we have experiences that give us enthusiasm, that give us energy. We might call it “recharging our batteries.” How do we maintain this kind of focus and enthusiasm in our spiritual lives – tuning out the noise and distractions of the physical world? Am I excited about being Continue reading

Do you get what you want, or do you get what you deserve? How many times have we heard the expression, “I knew that was going to happen!” We have other frustration statements we use, and many of these express an expected negativity in our lives. What makes a difference between good and bad expectations? Continue reading

This morning’s lesson focused on the grace God has shown us and the hope we have in that. Building upon this, Peter, in I Peter 2, asks his audience to put away all carnal qualities and form themselves as living stones built upon the foundation of Christ. He calls them and us a royal priesthood, Continue reading