Acts 3:1-5:42 Over the next few days, we will find ourselves working through the book of Acts. It received this name because it recounts the acts of the apostles. After Jesus’ resurrection, we see these early followers of Jesus living out the new life they have received. The church was marked by the miracles of the apostles, the proclamation of Jesus, joy in the face of suffering and persecution, ...

Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-2:47 Everyone loves receiving gifts. The anticipation of staring at a wrapped box, wondering what is inside, and then the slow (or quick) unwrapping of it. Jesus had promised a gift of a Helper in John 16, and we read about his unveiling today. Jesus had to go away for the gift to come. He left his disciples at the Ascension where he went to the right hand of...

Luke 24:13-43; Mark 16:12-13; John 20:19-23; Mark 16:14; John 20:24-21:25; Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:44-49 One of the greatest pieces of evidence for the resurrection is the number of appearances Jesus made. He did not just appear to one person at one time but an assortment of people with very different faith positions, over a lengthy period. Yesterday we saw his appearance to Mary ...

Mark 15:42-47; Matthew 27:57-61; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Matthew 27:62-66; Mark 16:1-8; Matthew 28:1-7; Luke 24:1-12; Mark 16:9-11; John 20:1-18; Matthew 28:8-15"Up from the grave he arose!" This classic line from a hymn embodies the end of the Gospels. Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead on the third day. This extremely familiar fact is the most significant event in human history. Je...

Mark 15:21-24; Matthew 27:32-34; Luke 23:26-31; John 19:17; Mark 15:25-32; Matthew 27:35-44; Luke 23:32-43; John 19:18-27; Mark 15:33-41; Matthew 27:45-56; Luke 23:44-49; John 19:28-37 Have you ever been yelled at? Have you had to stare at the anger on someone’s face while harsh words flew out of their mouths? If you have been there, know you are not alone in that experience. As Jesus hung on the ...

Mark 15:2-5; Matthew 27:11-14; Luke 23:1-12; John 18:28-40; Mark 15:6-15; Matthew 27:15-26; Luke 23:13-25; John 19:1-16; Mark 15:16-20; Matthew 27:27-31 Jesus' last twenty-four hours on Earth were a long, tedious, winding road. He moves from a final Passover meal with his disciples, to a wrestling match of prayer in a garden, to his arrest and abandonment by most of his disciples, to a trial by th...

Mark 14:53-65; Matthew 26:57-68; Mark 14:66-72; Matthew 26:69-75; Luke 22:54-65; John 18:25-27; Mark 15:1; Matthew 27:1-2; Luke 22:66-71; Matthew 27:3-10 How committed are you to the truth? If you are ever sworn into a court case, you will be forced to swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. This should not be a mindset only for a courtroom but for all of li...

John 18:1-2; Mark 14:32-42; Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46; Mark 14:43-52; Matthew 26:47-56; Luke 22:47-53; John 18:3-24 Doing what God asks is not always easy. Obedience may take us into persecution, rejection, difficulty, or hardship, but it is always worth it. Jesus found himself at a crossroads in the Garden of Gethsemane. He asked that the Father might take his cup (a symbol of wrath) from h...

John 15:18-17:26 There are moments in life when we feel unloved, unappreciated, hurt, or mistreated by others. Jesus speaks to many of these issues in John15:18-16:5a. He tells his disciples hatred from the world will come. They should not be surprised when they are mistreated, because this is the same way they treated Jesus. In these moments we may be tempted to repay hatred with anger or evil wi...

John13:31-38; Mark 14:27-31; Matthew 26:31-35; Luke 22:31-38; John14:1-15:17 What are the last things you would want to teach before you die? Are there certain messages you would want to convey to friends or family? As Jesus approached his death, he had a few final instructions for his disciples. First, he promised them they would always be with him. Jesus used the image of a palace with sets of r...

Mark 14:1-2; Matthew 26:1-5; Luke 22:1-2; Mark 14:10-11; Matthew 26:14-16; Luke 22:3-6; Mark 14:12-16; Matthew 26:17-19; Luke 22:7-13; John13:1-17; Mark 14:17-26; Matthew 26:20-30; Luke 22:14-30; John 13:18-30 No one wants to be a servant; everyone wants to be the boss. This is true in our world and even more so in the Roman Empire. To be a servant was demeaning and looked down upon, but Jesus rad...

Mark 13:32-37; Matthew 24:36-51; Luke 21:34-38; Matthew 25:1-46 A common error people have made throughout the centuries is thinking they know exactly when Jesus will return. Several years ago, a few billboards were purchased throughout the US claiming that May 21, 2011, would bring the return of Jesus. Like all previous predictions, this one was a failure. Instead of trying to figure out an exact...

Mark 13:1-23; Matthew 24:1-25; Luke 21:5-24; Mark 13:24-31; Matthew 24:26-35; Luke 21:25-33 If we looked around our homes, we may find several unfinished projects. Things we have started but never got around to finishing. We learn from our reading today that Jesus’ work is similarly not finished. Jesus accomplished everything necessary for our salvation, but we still await the ultimate healing and...

Mark 12:28-34; Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:35-37; Matthew 22:41-46; Luke 20:41-44; Mark 12:38-40; Matthew 23:1-12; Luke 20:45-47; Matthew 23:13-39; Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4 Whitewashed tombs. This term is used to describe anyone who externally looks great but whose heart is corrupted by death and sin. We see this reality in Jesus’ conflict with the religious leaders. The religious elite failed mis...

Matthew 21:28-32; Mark 12:1-12; Matthew 21:33-46; Luke 20:9-19; Matthew 22:1-14; Mark 12:13-17; Matthew 22:15-22; Luke 20:20-26; Mark 12:18-27; Matthew 22:23-33; Luke 20:27-40 Everyone loves a good story. We lean in and listen whether the story is of a galaxy far, far away, two sons, a vineyard owner, or a wedding banquet. Jesus took the mundane of life and used it to teach spiritual lessons. Ever...

John12:37-50; Mark 11:12-14; Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:15-19; Matthew 21:12-17; Luke 19:45-48; Mark 11:20-33; Matthew 21:23-27; Luke 20:1-8 What do people think of me? We have probably asked ourselves that at some point in our lives. The Gospels introduce us to two groups of people who are paralyzed by the opinions of others. John 12 describes some of the Pharisees have come to believe in Jesus bu...

Mark 14:3-9; Matthew 26:6-13; John12:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Matthew 21:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John12:12-19; Luke 19:41-44; John12:20-36 Who sits on the throne of your life? Who rules your emotions, decisions, and actions? Scripture tells us there is only one king and that is Jesus. At Jesus’ birth, the wise men sought the one born king of the Jews. As he preached, he proclaimed the message of the kingd...

Matthew 20:1-16; Mark 10:32-34; Matthew 20:17-19; Luke 18:31-34; Mark 10:35-45; Matthew 20:20-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-19:27 We can live life with an attitude of thankfulness or with a mentality of frustration. Henri Nouwen said, "Where there is reason for gratitude, there can always be found a reason for bitterness. It is here that we are faced with the freedom to make a decision. We can dec...

Luke 18:9-14; Mark 10:1-12; Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:13-16; Matthew 19:13-15; Luke 18:15-17; Mark 10:17-31; Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 18:18-30 As much as culture changes, human nature does not. The world may seem to be transforming at warp speed around us, but ultimately, our hearts are the same throughout all of history. If you question this, look no further than the issues addressed in Scripture. W...

John 11:38-57; Luke 17:11-18:8 When my husband and I were dating, I would sometimes request him to do something. If it did not happen in my timetable, I would ask him again, and again, and… One day a cousin, who had prayed for over three years for us to date, asked how things were going. So I told him about my little timetable dilemma. He gave me wise advice, “Mention your request to him once. He ...