We have all had conversations with people who are so busy planning what they intend to say next they don’t really hear what we’re saying. The Pharisees who were so hung up on following the laws (and being so proud of themselves for following the laws) couldn’t (wouldn’t?) truly hear…
When Jesus was walking in the temple courts, Jews surrounded Him. They made a demand: “If You’re the Messiah, tell us.” I doubt Jesus rolled His eyes—He was too in tune with His Father to give in to such a human gesture—but He might’ve been tempted to do so. Why…
Neighbors and friends who’d always had their sight had a hard time believing what they were seeing. They questioned whether this was the same man who’d sat begging every day. But the man kept telling them, “It’s me! It’s me! I can see!” Not only that, he told them why…
When I was a kid, I thought (irreverently, perhaps, but truthfully) how good it was the man couldn’t see what Jesus rubbed on his eyes or he might not have allowed it. But he did allow it, and he followed Jesus’ directions afterward. What compelled this man to do as…
HYMN DAY! “I Sing the Mighty Power of God” by Isaac Watts is a testimony to who God is and an acknowledgment of His greatness. These words bring such assurance. 1. I sing the mighty power of God, That made the mountains rise, That spread the flowing seas abroad, And…
February 17, 2015, a young couple welcomed their first child into their family. They’d been told this little girl had medical conditions “incompatible with life” and she wouldn’t even be able to draw a breath if she survived childbirth. They were advised to terminate the pregnancy. They chose to see…
In Jesus’ day, it was a common belief that if a person suffered an illness or had a child with some sort of disability, that person was being punished for sin. So the disciples’ question, while seemingly insensitive, isn’t out of line. Their main curiosity was who sinned—the parents or…
Have you ever heard the phrase “once saved, always saved”? There are mixed feelings about it, probably the result of some who use Christianity as fire insurance rather than make a real heart commitment. But I see the statement itself as true. We need only ask Christ to be our…
A young man once told me he didn’t want to submit to God because he didn’t want anybody telling him what to do. The sentiment isn’t uncommon—a lot of people hold that view—but it actually doesn’t make a great deal of sense. You’re always going to serve a master: God…
HYMN DAY! “Power in the Blood” by Lewis E. Jones is one of those rollicking hymns that makes the rafters vibrate when voices sing it loud and strong. And the words…wow. I hope for each of those questions, you can give a hearty, “Amen!” 1 Would you be free from…
