I love Mafia movies for many reasons. One of those is the hypocritical yet dramatic juxtaposition of a hardened, swaggering gangster going to Catholic confession. He seeks absolution for his guilty conscience only to leave and sin again, typically by murdering a family opponent. A child in one of my favorite Mafia movies encapsulated this […]
MONDAY Reading for Today: Luke 22:31-38 Hebrews 6:1-12 Proverbs 22:17-29 Isaiah 24–26 Luke 22:31-38 Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. He knew Peter would soon deny him, so he prayed Peter would not allow his mistake to hijack his faith. From Scripture, we know God granted Jesus’ request. Peter’s faith faltered, yes, but […]
Sin is many things. It is missing the mark (original meaning of the New Testament term). It is rebellion against the father’s love (Luke 15:11-32). It is alienation and separation from God (Ephesians 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:9). It is ignorance of the things of God (Acts 17:30). It is failing to trust the goodness of […]
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each day in the United States nine people die and more than 1,000 suffer injuries in crashes involving a distracted driver. Three main kinds of distraction cause accidents: (1) visual: taking your eyes off the road, (2) manual: taking your hands off the wheel, and (3) […]
Use one or both of these questions to introduce the lesson: 1. What makes you the real you? Give at least three responses to that question. Which of your responses defines yourself by your relationship with someone else? 2. When would you prefer to remain neutral rather than take a side? In what situations have […]
