Jesus was the ultimate teacher. He “went around doing good” (Acts 10:38), and much of that good was centered on his teaching. At the beginning of his ministry he called the twelve disciples so that they might help him while he was on earth, but also that he might deposit in them the important message […]
Week 24 Character | The Gentle Christian
We hear the term gentle most often used in the word gentlemen. My father-in-law’s definition of a gentleman is “a man who knows how to play the accordion, but doesn’t.” That may not be the best definition, but it makes me smile every time I repeat it. Few people, I’d wager, think much about being […]
Week 24 Daily Reading
MONDAY Reading for Today: Luke 3:1-20 Ephesians 4:25-32 Psalm 119:65-72 1 Kings 13–14 Psalm 119:65-72 What good things has the Lord done in your life? Has he freed you from slavery to sin? Has he helped you through a struggle? Has he grown your character and made you into a better person? Has he given […]
Week 23 Study | Parables of God’s Just Kingdom
Parables are true-to-life comparisons that break forth into fictional analogies that seem upside down to us and often deceive us into truth by opening up the government of God. This is a homemade definition of parables, with the exception of the phrase “deceiving into truth,” which can be attributed to Soren Kierkegaard. By fictional analogies […]
Week 23 Application | Loving Your Imperfect Church
What’s wrong with your church? You can probably list a number of irritating flaws. Your preacher’s off-putting habits. Uninspiring music. Inadequate communication. Perhaps you dislike how the church allocates its money, or you wish the leaders put more emphasis on (choose one): youth, senior adults, married couples, singles, doctrinal instruction, local needs, or global missions. […]