If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you (1 Peter 4:14, ESV). When life is hard and you’re in pain, you need to ask yourself a revealing question: “Am I suffering in a trial, or is my pain a consequence […]
And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need (Acts 2:44–45, ESV). One characteristic of God’s family is an inherent willingness to give. The believers in the early church “had all things in common” (Acts […]
My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins (James 5:19–20, esv). “Anyone,” meet “someone.” The beauty of this passage from James 5 is […]
He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep” (John 21:17, esv). […]
If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love (John 15:10, esv). In any great endeavor, there comes that point—after all the planning, all the build-up, all the cheerleading and dream-casting—when it’s just time to get to work. Time to […]
His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. (John 12:16, esv). We can all attest to the 20/20 nature of hindsight; that moment of looking back on a complicated, confusing situation and […]
When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet (Mark 5:21–22, esv). We have so many reasons not to pray. […]
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, […]
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content (Philippians 4:11, esv). Do you want contentment but find it elusive? Be encouraged. Even the apostle Paul, an exemplary Christ follower, realized being content was something he had to learn. If Paul had to pursue contentment, let’s acknowledge […]
And he had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour (John 4:4–6, esv). To […]