Can you imagine how Jesus’ followers and loved ones felt on the day Jesus died? I am sure there was grief, confusion, and a sense of deep loss of purpose now that it appeared that their teacher had been killed. If I could go comfort Jesus’ disciples and loved ones during the three...
Continue ReadingWinter solstice, December 21st, is the darkest day of the year. However, after the 21st, the days become gradually lighter. Yes, it is a dark day, but the light always comes following that day. Similarly, each day in Jesus’ last week appeared to be getting darker and darker until the...
Continue ReadingBIG IDEA
We use the word “miracle” often. The other day, I put my niece and nephew to bed by 7:30 pm, and I thought I had witnessed a miracle. The truth is, we use the word so casually that it loses its wonder if we let it. God is a miracle-working God, and He performs miracles...
Continue ReadingBIG IDEA
Who was your favorite teacher growing up? Mine was my tenth-grade English teacher. She told great stories, was interesting, and made our entire class enthusiastic about reading classic literature, which is quite a feat. But, of all of the teachers in the world, Jesus was a master...
Continue ReadingBIG IDEA
When Jesus began His ministry on earth, He chose to pick a group of 12 men to be His close followers or disciples. This was not unexpected. After all, it was custom for a Jewish rabbi to have a group of devoted disciples to learn from him and follow him. What was unexpected, however...
Continue ReadingBIG IDEA
Have you ever felt misunderstood? It can be quite frustrating. We can work very hard to be clear and communicate well, but sometimes we still end up being misunderstood. We may even be misunderstood, at times, for our faith. People may not understand why we spend time serving or giving...
Continue ReadingBIG IDEA
My friends have a little boy they are trying to teach the difference between the words “like” and “love.” They often teach this difference by repeatedly saying, “We like things, and we love people.” At dinner one night, their son said, “I...
Continue ReadingBIG IDEA
When we look at the life of Jesus, we get a lot of detail about His birth but not much detail about His early life before His earthly ministry began. We find that He was welcomed in by the wise men, then is quickly taken down to Egypt to avoid certain death. He grows in stature...
Continue Reading