I have casually mentioned the soldier at the cross in several of my sermons, but I have never stopped to think in detail about what the day Jesus was crucified was like for him. He saw enough that Matthew 27:54 records him saying, “Truly, this was the Son of God.” While some of what…
Peter was, I think, the Apostle that we can all most easily relate to. There were times when he seemed to have it all together, and there were times when his mouth wasn’t big enough to hold the foot he just stuck in it. Peter could get it right one moment and wrong the…
Have you ever felt like the events of Palm Sunday were contradictory? Almost certainly, some of the people who celebrated Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem were the same ones who shouted, “Crucify Him!” a few days later. Palm Sunday and the events of the next few days are all somewhat contradictory. For example, what kind…
John 2:15, “When Jesus had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables.” The Bible records two occasions when Jesus cleansed the temple. They both revolve around Passover, with John’s account being at…
Ezekiel 11:19, “Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh.” In this chapter, we see the tragic, repeating cycle of the Children of Israel. They serve God for a while…
Psalms 143:8, “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.” Every night before we go to bed, Marlene and I pray that God will give us a good…
Matthew 24:9-13, “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And…
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” You often hear this verse quoted as words of encouragement for someone who may be going through a difficult time. It’s a beautiful promise,…
Ephesians 4:11-14, “God called some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of…
1 Corinthians 12:22, “Those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.” Circumstances in life can cause you to stumble across the most amazing things. At least when I stumbled across this interesting tidbit, it amazed me. Have you ever heard of “ear rocks?” Me either! I’ve heard the expression, “They…