“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). It was September 2018. I was in a meeting of ministers from around the country. Shortly after the meeting began, the talk turned to the news that a young California minister had taken his life. His final sermon was posted online and the message […]
MONDAY Reading for Today: Matthew 1:1-17 Acts 1:1-11 Psalm 1 Genesis 1–2 Genesis 1–2 Just four words—In the beginning, God—but, oh, what a profound declaration! The writer does not offer any explanation for God’s existence; he assumes it. Of course, God exists! The transcendent God predates time, space, and the entire cosmos. In truth, there […]
Perhaps you’ve heard the advice, “Buy what you’re selling.” You wouldn’t expect a Ford salesman to drive a Chevy. On the threshold of a new year Christians may well want to ask, “If we are not convinced that Christ fulfilled prophecy (last week’s lesson) and also rose from the dead, will a watching world believe […]
God calls us to impact the world, but not to imitate the world. I have been trying to think of a clever catchphrase to describe the difference between worldly people and those who change the world in a positive way. Kosmos, the Greek word translated world in the New Testament, is a multi-faceted term. From […]
Use one or both of these questions to introduce the lesson: 1. What ethnic dish do you enjoy that others might not want to eat? How did you come to enjoy it? What ethnic dish would you never try? What makes the difference? 2. What are some businesses that are known all over the world? […]
