Message:  In Mark 12 I found myself frustrated with the questions being asked of Jesus. Not because they were bad questions but because the intent behind their questions was not genuine. They were testing Jesus in the hopes of finding... Continue reading →

Message:  For me, Mark 10 was a challenge to examine my desires and motives to see what is really driving my heart. Just because I’m not struggling in one area of surrender doesn’t mean there aren’t other areas lurking. The... Continue reading →

Message:  In Mark 8 there is a whole lot going on. Jesus fed another large crowd by multiplying the bread and fish that were available and once again there was bread left over. In fact, there was more bread left... Continue reading →

Message:  In Genesis 32 Jacob was leaving his Uncle Laban and heading back to his homeland. He had lived his life as a deceiver and a cheat and this is what caused him to live on the run in the... Continue reading →

Message:  In Mark 2 we read that Jesus was at home in Capernaum when word got out and crowds began showing up. There were so many people that a group of men who had brought their paralyzed friend removed the... Continue reading →

Message:  In Proverbs 12 there is a lot of compare and contrast bits of truth between the wise and the foolish, the diligent and the lazy, telling lies and speaking truth, righteous and wicked, life and death. The very first... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 28 we land on what we know as Resurrection Sunday. We established in yesterday’s reading that Jesus’s death had not been business as usual. There was fear among the soldiers for what they had witnessed, and they... Continue reading →

Message:  Matthew chapter 27 is the story of the trial and the crucifixion. Reading this I couldn’t ignore the fact that as cruel as the Roman government was, they were organized, they had a proper system for trying criminals and... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 26 there was so much betrayal and political manipulation going on many levels as Jesus prepared himself to fulfill the mission he came for. His sacrificial death. While reading the details as they unfolded, I couldn’t help... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 23 Jesus was speaking to the crowds about the Scribes and Pharisees. He called them hypocrites but something very important came out. He told the crowd that they needed to listen to what they say because they... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 22 the Sadducees were taking their turn to challenge Jesus as the Pharisees watched. Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection of the dead and this had been an ongoing debate with the Pharisees so they used the... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 21 the people of the town had begun to accept the idea that Jesus was the Messiah so they began to celebrate and honor him throughout the city. As I read about this I started thinking about... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 20 we see a few stories that speak to our understanding of social justice and even the area of privilege. Only in this case, there is no race attached to it because the assumption is that everyone... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 19 the Pharisees came back to test Jesus with more of their “is it lawful if…” type of questions. They hoped to get Jesus to contradict Moses in order to prove that Jesus was a fraud. Their... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 16 Jesus was teaching them about discernment and understanding. He used the sky for an example and how we can determine the weather approaching by the color and look of the sky. Then he used another example.... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 15 the Pharisees came once again to question Jesus. They wanted to know why his disciples broke the traditions of the elders by not ceremonially washing their hands when they ate. As I thought about this question,... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 14 Jesus heard about the beheading of John the Baptist. As I read this I thought about the relationship between John and Jesus and how much their lives and purpose intertwined. They were cousins and both of... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 13 a very large crowd had gathered and Jesus was speaking to them in parables. The disciples asked him why he was speaking to them in parables and he told them “The secrets of the kingdom of... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 12 there is SO much going on! Jesus was speaking to the crowds and being watched and challenged by the Pharisees at every move and every angle. At the beginning of chapter 12 the Pharisees called out... Continue reading →

Message:  In Matthew 11 John the Baptist heard from prison what was going on so he sent disciples to Jesus to ask if he was the promised one or whether they should be expecting someone else. John was the one... Continue reading →