It is Sunday morning. Early. Still dark. In our previous post, we followed Matthew’s account of what happened after Jesus’ death on that Friday and Saturday long ago. We started at Matthew 27:50, watching as Matthew gave us short rapid camera shots, from a variety of locations around Jerusalem. Now look at Matthew 28:1. MatthewContinue reading “The first mission of the church was given to women- Matthew 28, Part 2”
Tag Archives: resurrection
What happened after Jesus died – Matthew 28, Part 1
We will all have coronavirus stories to share for years to come. Recently my daughter said, “This will be an event that I’ll be telling my kids and grandkids about.” And she is right. There will be so many stories. The courageous health care workers working to heal those who contracted the virus, many ofContinue reading “What happened after Jesus died – Matthew 28, Part 1”
Jesus’ surprising instructions: Wait and Witness (what is that???) – Acts 1, Part 2
Yesterday I started what a series studying the book of Acts, and the central question we’ll be asking each week is this: How did the first Christians live as followers of Jesus, in their world? This week we are working through Acts 1. In the first three verses, we learned that, over the 40 daysContinue reading “Jesus’ surprising instructions: Wait and Witness (what is that???) – Acts 1, Part 2”
Who we really are in Christ – Our Identity: In Christ, Part 2
Think about how you see yourself. Is it the same as who you are? Is it possible that your self-identity is different from who you really are? I think it is very possible. Consider people that think they are losers, failures, or many other negative words. Perhaps other people told them that. Perhaps they didContinue reading “Who we really are in Christ – Our Identity: In Christ, Part 2”
How much should we let our Christianity show? – Characters: Daniel, Part 4
In this series of posts on Daniel and his friends, we’ve been talking about assimilation. How much should Christians allow themselves to assimilate with their surrounding culture? What areas of ethics matter, and which don’t? It’s not always easy to know. One way people seek to answer this question is about process. Do the endsContinue reading “How much should we let our Christianity show? – Characters: Daniel, Part 4”
False Ideas Christians Believe About…Salvation
What happens when we die? Is there a way to know? In this post we are fact-checking phrases about salvation and the afterlife: We’re all God’s children. We need people to pray the Sinners’ Prayer. Jesus wants to live in your heart. I’m so sorry for your loss. Heaven must have needed another angel. First,Continue reading “False Ideas Christians Believe About…Salvation”
How to have an inheritance that cannot be squandered
Michelle and I both had grandparents pass away in the last few years, and we have watched our parents and their siblings handle their parents’ estates. Sometimes inheritances are smooth and easy. Sometimes they are a bit complex. One time Faith Church received a bequest from a parishioner who passed away, and it took nearlyContinue reading “How to have an inheritance that cannot be squandered”
How we can know that hope is alive
Last week I did a search on our local website, as I was looking for the word “hope” in the news. You know what I discovered? Hope is a very flexible word, used many ways for many situations. Here are a few of the recent headlines. Maybe you remember some of them! First, here areContinue reading “How we can know that hope is alive”
How to access God’s power for your life
Don’t you hate it when the batteries are dead? I pull out my cordless drill to work on something, and there is no power. Thankfully, my drill came with a second battery, so I swap them out, and I find that they second one is dead too. Ever dealt with that? So frustrating, right? Powerlessness. PowerContinue reading “How to access God’s power for your life”
He is risen? Really? So what?
“He is risen! He is risen indeed!” This is the call and response that we use on Easter Sunday. But this Sunday is not Easter Sunday. That was two months ago. This Sunday we’re revisiting Easter again. Why? In the book of Acts we learn that the earliest Christians decided to meet on Sundays becauseContinue reading “He is risen? Really? So what?”
Engaging Scripture 