Christian people, I have a question for you: when people think of you do they think, “there is a person who listens, who sees, who has empathy, who cares”? Or do they think, “there is a person who won’t stop talking, who is so focused on themselves”? What kind of Christian should we be? We’veContinue reading “Christians, are we seeing the needs? Are we listening? – Acts 14, Part 2”
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Are you counting your blessings the right way? (or the wrong way?) – Acts 12, Part 2
Have you ever been around a child learning to count? My kids, at that very early stage, would often skip numbers in the teens, “11, 12, 13…15, 16, 17…” It was humorous, but we would stop them and say, “You missed 14…let’s try it again.” After practice, they learned. In the previous post, I suggestedContinue reading “Are you counting your blessings the right way? (or the wrong way?) – Acts 12, Part 2”
Simon the Sorcerer vs the Holy Spirit – Acts 8:4-40, Part 3
There was a powerful man in Samaria. Simon the Sorcerer. All week long we’ve been studying Acts 8:4-40, learning about how Christians should get woke like the early church. One of those earliest Christians, Philip, had traveled to Samaria and started demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit. But there was already a man withContinue reading “Simon the Sorcerer vs the Holy Spirit – Acts 8:4-40, Part 3”
Should the church be woke? – Acts 8:4-40, Part 1
I am starting to get woke. Are you “woke”? Not awake, but woke. Maybe you’ve heard that word, as it become popular in recent years. I recently read the book Woke Church by Eric Mason, and in the book he describes “woke” as “to utilize the mind of Christ and to be fully awake toContinue reading “Should the church be woke? – Acts 8:4-40, Part 1”
If you lie, you’ll die? – Acts 5-6:7, Part 3
Do you think the title of this post sounds harsh? I think it sounds very harsh. That’s why I put a question mark at the end of the title. But what does it refer to? If you lie, you die? It refers to the next section of Acts that we’re studying. So far this week,Continue reading “If you lie, you’ll die? – Acts 5-6:7, Part 3”
How Should Christians Live in the World (Introducing Acts) – Acts 1, Part 1
How should Christians live in the world? Do the Republicans have it right? Should we follow the Democrats? Is American life the way to go? What about some other country, like England, that has a Christian heritage? What about Spain or France or Italy which are predominantly Catholic nations. Should we follow the Catholic way? Continue reading “How Should Christians Live in the World (Introducing Acts) – Acts 1, Part 1”
How Christian dual citizenship matters to politics – Our Identity: Citizens of God’s Kingdom, Part 3
Christians, did you know you have dual citizenship? I, for example am a citizen of the United States of America because I was born in the city of Alexandria, which is the state of Virginia. I have a birth certificate with raised seal to prove it. Which is the land of your birth? Where isContinue reading “How Christian dual citizenship matters to politics – Our Identity: Citizens of God’s Kingdom, Part 3”
The Already, but Not Yet Kingdom – Our Identity: Citizens of God’s Kingdom, Part 2
Christians are citizens of the Kingdom of God now. What does that mean? How does our citizenship in God’s Kingdom matter now? The answer to that question is something called, “the already, but not yet”. We are a part of the Kingdom of God already, but that Kingdom has not yet come in its fullness. Continue reading “The Already, but Not Yet Kingdom – Our Identity: Citizens of God’s Kingdom, Part 2”
How to avoid assimilation and follow Jesus – Characters: Daniel, Part 5
A retired couple in my congregation told me about the time they attended a high school reunion, and their classmates, now all retired, each took turns sharing what they were doing with their lives. The sharing went all the way around the circle, and not a single person mentioned anything about serving the Lord. PerhapsContinue reading “How to avoid assimilation and follow Jesus – Characters: Daniel, Part 5”
How teens and adults can respond to peer pressure – Characters: Daniel, Part 3
How do you handle societal pressure? Whether you are a teenager facing peer pressure at school, perhaps to try drugs and alcohol, or whether you are an adult tempted to misreport your taxes, there are multitudes of pressures in life, pressures to turn away from living in a way that is honorable to Jesus. WillContinue reading “How teens and adults can respond to peer pressure – Characters: Daniel, Part 3”
Engaging Scripture 