What a somber day it is when the ones we love are no longer with us. Even if, within our hearts, we find great hope in the resurrection, it is still bittersweet.
We are in for a treat this Sunday, as the children and youth will be leading both worship services.
Mahatma Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
I can remember staying at my grandparents’ house by the beach every summer. They hated it when us kids would constantly run in the house and back out of the house, open the door and close the door. After doing that a couple of times in a row, without fail, we would receive the question, “Are you in, or are you out?”
Have you ever bought a pair of shoes because you really, really liked them, but they were the wrong size?
Have you ever begun talking and wanted to shove everything you just said back into your mouth? Once it’s out, there’s no taking it back.
Our “not again” doesn’t have to be what it was before. Insert the resurrected Jesus, and watch the whole process transform.
What we find is that “holier-than-thou” Jesus doesn’t arrive to a throng of cheering crowds on his high horse; he arrives on a donkey.
Steelers legend Mike Webster left a message for me. He wanted to talk about something I had shared with thousands of people. He was not happy, but, looking back, he taught me something about humility.
When you have no other option, leftovers satisfy, but when you have plenty, leftovers feel like not enough.
What would you do with true popularity? How would you treat crowds of people following you? What would Jesus do?
Here it is, the perfect opportunity for Jesus to show his power right out of the gate. God has affirmed him, and he is greeted by none other than Satan himself.
When describing someone, you don’t often hear it said, “They are such a humble person.” Humility is one of the most underused characteristics in our American culture today.
As followers of Jesus, we are meant to serve one another, but when it comes to driving out the real demons in people’s lives, Jesus acts through spoken word and the authority of his voice.
Our responsibility to make sure all have access to food is not dependent on our wealth or our gifts; it is a simple matter of our humanity.
Upside down, inside out, and backwards is the way to be counted among the greatest in the kingdom of God.
Jesus lists off a category of people who are blessed. The poor in Spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst, etc. Do I want to be any of those things?
People seem to get in the way of unity. Is Christian unity important enough to you?
Waiting patiently is not a strong suit of mine.
Isn’t it good to know we are not furniture, and God is not us?