Jesus Prays – John 17
At the conclusion of the upper room discussion (John 13-16), Jesus prays. Our Bibles record His prayer in John 17. Instead of breaking it down verse by verse or thought…
Category: Encouragment
The Lion’s Roar
Right up front, let me confess that I’m not an expert on lions and their behavior. I’ve seen just enough Wild Kingdom and National Geographic episodes to be a bit…
Like a Goldfish in Water
They say that a goldfish doesn’t notice the water around it. That living in water is so natural and common that they take no thought of it. I wonder sometimes…
A Bumpy Peace – John 16:29-33
One of the joys of teaching is seeing that moment of dawning understanding. There is a visible indication when a student conquers a difficult to grasp concept. That “ah-ha” moment,…
What About Evil?
This past week evil slaughtered nineteen 4th grade students and two teachers at a school in Texas. Sadly it’s not the first school shooting and won’t be the last. While…
I Have This Rock
I have this rock. It has a flat side and a rounded side. It’s about the shape and size of a hand with the thumb tucked in. There are hints…
Access Please: John 16:23-28
Only a few have direct access to a powerful leader. I, as a citizen of the United States, cannot just walk into the White House anytime I want and speak…
God’s Redemptive Work – A Fuller Picture
The classic question of Christian Evangelism goes something like this – If you die tonight will you go to heaven or hell? But is that all there is? Are we…
Joy – John 16:20-22
For several chapters now, Jesus has been preparing His disciples for what comes next. And they still don’t get it. I wonder if we’re not more like them than we…
Defining God
When you boil it all down, it’s simply a matter of willingness. Now that doesn’t make much sense, does it? While the sentence could be true, probably is true, there’s…
The Advocate
There is a proverbial old tale about three blind men describing an elephant. One describes the elephant as a tree trunk because of its massive legs. Another describes it as…
Jesus Says Repay Evil with Good
A basic life lesson is that life isn’t fair. We’d like it to be and try to create laws to make it that way. But to date no one has…