A friend of mine who owns a thriving business faced an unexpected crisis when a key employee resigned suddenly without warning, leaving his fellow employees holding the bag. Thankfully the staff team stepped up, everyone worked together to fill the gap, and things turned out well after all. Relieved and grateful, my friend explained, “I […]
Week 16 Application | Lay Down Your Crown
The New Testament uses two different Greek words translated “crown.” The jeweled royal head-covering of a king or queen was called a diadema. That’s why a classic hymn says of Jesus, “Bring forth the royal diadem and crown him Lord of all.” David wore an impressive kingly crown covered with precious stones that weighed about […]
Week 15 Application | No Exaggeration
Most of us exaggerate now and then, using expressions that would be outrageous if taken literally. “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!” “I have told you a million times not to do that.” Hyperbole isn’t meant to falsify or misrepresent the facts, but to intensify them. We exaggerate our points in order to […]
Week 14 Application | The Postscript
It would seem natural if the Gospel of John ended with chapter 20. Couldn’t John simply have concluded his book by observing that the miraculous signs Jesus performed “are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John […]
Week 13 Application | The Lord’s Surprising Presence
Have you ever been the last to hear some big news? Maybe you took a vacation, and upon returning to work you learned that major changes had taken place while you were gone. When Jesus starting walking with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, they thought he didn’t know what was going on. They […]