Focal Passage: Luke 12:13-21; 21:1-4

Just a few days after Christmas, many parents make the same discovery: half the toys their children were so excited about aren’t even being touched anymore. The “new” has already become ordinary. It’s a simple picture, but it reminds us of something Jesus wants us to understand — our stuff and our finances must be kept in their proper place.

In verses 13-15, a man approaches Jesus with what seems like a reasonable request. He wants Jesus to settle a family dispute about an inheritance. In that culture, rabbis commonly handled these kinds of disagreements, so at first glance it makes sense. But Jesus refuses. Why? Because the real issue wasn’t fairness — it was greed. The man wasn’t looking for wisdom; he wanted Jesus to side with him so he could get more. Jesus wasn’t sent to earth to referee family arguments. He came to address matters of the heart, and in this moment, He exposes a deeper danger: the love of stuff. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: 1 Kings 17:7-16

A banker in my church once told me a story I’ll never forget. She had carefully prepared ten goody bags for the kids in her Sunday School class. As the one who had worked her way up to the top position at our local bank, she was not used to making mistakes — especially with numbers. But that morning, eleven children showed up. She panicked inside, knowing she had only made ten bags. Yet as she handed them out, one by one, she reached the last child — and somehow still had one more bag in her hand. She looked up, stunned: The Lord provided!

Our study today focuses on another time when God came through in a moment when provisions seemed to run out. Elijah had moved to the Jordan River to escape Ahab’s reach. During the famine, God provided for him in extraordinary ways—ravens bringing him food and water from the Wadi. Eventually, the ravens stopped coming, and the wadi began to dry up. The place that had sustained him was no longer enough. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Luke 1:26-38

Have you ever been caught by surprise? On my 16th birthday, I thought I had figured out that my parents were throwing me a surprise party — I just didn’t know where. When we pulled into McDonald’s and all my friends were standing there wearing McDonald party hats (which was hilarious considering some of them later went on to play Division I college football), boy, was I surprised!

Luke allows us to witness the surprise in Mary’s life when she learned she would soon give birth to a baby. When Gabriel comes to make his heavenly announcement, we find a young woman with an incredible description. We know Mary is young. She is pure. She is engaged to Joseph — a commitment far more binding in their culture than an engagement is today. Most importantly, we know she is highly favored by God. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: II Corinthians 1:8-10; 12:6-10 

Several years ago, I visited a couple who had recently joined our church. When I plugged their address into my GPS, I had to do a double-take: Easy Street! They lived on Easy Street! What a great place to live.

Wouldn’t we all love to live on Easy Street? We wish our circumstances would work out easily, neatly, and without pain or problems. But we know that’s not how life works. We often feel bogged down by what life throws at us. In those moments, our job is to remember that the Lord is walking with us and leading us through even the darkest valley (Psalm 23:4). [Read more…]

Focal Passage: Matthew 17:14-20

September 2018 I found out that the only option was open heart surgery. I prayed for another way. I asked God to supernaturally fix my heart valve. That was not His plan. I needed the surgery. I wish I could say I didn’t struggle with the question: “Did I have enough faith to be healed?” Like the disciples in Matthew 17:14-20, I faced a moment when my faith felt weak.

In our passage of Scripture today, Jesus had just come down from the mount of Transfiguration. He had an experience with Moses and Elijah that left a mark on his disciples (Matthew 17:1-13). Would that mark last? As they returned to the crowd, a man approached Jesus with a request. He came to Jesus humbly.  The man believed Jesus had the power to heal his son, who was overtaken by dangerous seizures. [Read more…]