One of the greatest events in the closing weeks of Jesus’ life was the raising of Lazarus from the dead. As a result of that great miracle, “many of the Jews…believed in Him” (John 11:45). However, the chief priests, the Pharisees and the Jewish council “plotted to put Him to death” (11:53). They became so desperate to stop people from believing in…

People. People. People. What can we say about them? They encourage us and then discourage us, impress us and then disappoint us, inspire us and then irritate us. Too often, the people in our lives let us down, lie to us or leave us in a lurch.  What are we to do? First, let’s remember that our faith needs to be in…

In your imagination, picture the face of Jesus.  What expression was on His face as the devil was tempting Him?  What expression was on His face when His own brothers wanted nothing to do with Him?  What expression was on His face as He turned over the tables in the temple?  What expression was on His face when He saw Mary and…

During His last week on earth, while Jesus was teaching in the temple (cf. Luke 19:47), Matthew records that “the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple” (Matt. 21:14). How many times have you read that statement? But, have you ever stopped to wonder, “How?” We read frequently of others who “came to Jesus” (ex: His disciples, multitudes, a…

Thoughts are a very private matter. They are in your own head–a place where no human can enter other than you. So how is it that someone can say, “I know what you’re thinking”? The Bible speaks about this when it says, “For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?” (1…

There has been a box of brand new pens on my shelf for several years, and every few months I pull another out. (Pens just seem to disappear around the office.) A few days ago, I pulled the last pen from that box. It was dried out. After several seconds (and pieces of scrap paper) of making circles, it finally came to…

On his second missionary journey, Paul visited the cities of Thessalonica and Berea. Luke drew a sharp contrast between the receptivity of the gospel made by certain individuals in each of these cities, when he noted that those in “Berea…were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica” (Acts 17:10-11). What was it that set the Bereans apart? Let me ask this–when you went…

How do you listen? That is not asking “how well” do you listen. Nor is that asking anything about your hearing ability. Stop, consider, evaluate and be honest– how do you listen? When someone else is speaking, are you open or closed to them? Are you humble or haughty? Are you patient or pushy? Are you easy or demanding? Are you concentrating…