Babies are a threat. Any parent knows that.  My kids came along two decades ago and turned my world upside down. They still do.  I never knew how much love, fear, anger, sadness or joy that I could experience as a parent.  The fact that these emotions come from little bundles of flesh is quite [...]

Whereas most people speak in terms of wanting to be successful, Jesus emphasizes that his servants should be “fruitful.” There is an important distinction between these two outcomes. Fruitfulness is the true test of the servant, because it means the reproduction and multiplication of the same kind of life. Jesus’ own life was a powerful [...]

This passage is part of Jesus’ farewell discourse to his disciples. Arrest, trial, crucifixion looms. The world is going to radically change for these followers in the next hours. Jesus offers his disciples comfort: “don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me.” Jesus is stating that though the [...]

In our media saturated culture there is no shortage of voices and personalities claiming our allegiance. Many false shepherds claim to have our interests at heart, but are in reality simply promoting their own agendas and lining their own pockets. The present themselves as benefactors, but turn out to be robbers. We are the worse [...]

This week’s passage is the fantastic story of Jesus walking with two disciples on the road to Emmaus. It is an account of the resurrection story being real in the lives of followers of Jesus. It speaks of the ushering in of a new season in the lives of God’s people. This is [...]

The disciples had been presented with the evidence of the empty tomb by Peter and John. Mary Magdalene had reported that she had seen two angels in Jesus’ tomb who challenged her as to why they she was so sad, and then Jesus himself had spoken to her and commissioned her to report to the [...]

Life is a journey, and we are Christ-followers. We also belong to a company of pilgrims that is walking together. We are walking in step with Christ, making sure we neither get ahead nor drag behind. Life has to be lived at walking pace, which ensures that we walk in company and that we notice [...]

I am a proud member of a Rotary Club in my hometown. I have been in Rotary for over ten years. I faithfully pay my dues, attend meetings, work on projects that better my community, traveled to Peru and Zambia working on projects to better those regions of the world. I have met [...]

This passage is about death and new life. It is the story of the raising of Lazarus from death back to earthly life by Jesus who is the resurrection and the life. The OT passage read in some churches this week is Ezekiel 37:1-14. This is the story of a valley of very dry bones [...]

This is the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman. For us who have been around the church for awhile, it is a rather familiar story. We refer to this story when we discuss evangelism—meeting people where they are, caring enough to confront, beginning with a non-threatening question (about water). We also refer [...]