July - 2018

"Jesus replied, 'The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified'"

Jesus contemplates his arrest and execution when he speaks these words. It is not what we would expect: this idea of honor and elevation...

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in

What could possibly be grounds for rejoicing in a circumstance of 'grief and all kinds of trials.' The answer precedes this verse: Jesus...

" . . . He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ f

Christ's return from the dead was not just a change in his personal fortunes. His resurrection contains everyone else's. Like Adam,...

"Simon Peter asked him, 'Lord, where are you going?' Jesus replied, 'Where I am goi

We want God to travel at our speed. We want him to get his work done within our short attention span. However it is reassuring to know...

"Though you have not seen him you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe

The first disciples did see Jesus and knew him personally after the crucifixion. By means of their remembrance and reports of their...

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you

Jesus' 'awayness' from his disciples is not his indifference to them. Their interests are being served. Christ's apparent absence...

"It was revealed to them that were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the thing

Men and women of faith who walked the earth in ages past were serving us as well as their contemporaries. Our apprehension of God is not...

"If you really knew me, you would know my father as well" (John 14:7).

Thomas had been hanging around Jesus for quite a while but didn't 'really' know him. Only later did the disciples realize the true...

"Like newborn babies crave pure spiritual milk so that you may grow up in your salvation, now t

The universe often seems indifferent and mean. There are glimpses of generosity and kindness, but these seem like a trick to get our...

"As you come to him the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--yo

The metaphor is rich and deep with many layers. The world thinks poorly of Christ but his are the values of divinity--he is precious to...

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"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously wi

“But the Lord was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of the cov

" . . .So we too have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ

"Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many gr