hear ⁽⁹⁶⁾

Haggai 1:4–14, Amos 7:10–17 It would be nice if nice things just happened. It would be nice if all the stuff that needs to happen, just happened. It doesn’t work that way. Someone has to take responsibility. God had fulfilled his promise that the remnants…

Matthew 5:1–12, Matthew 13:1–9, Luke 4:16–21, Acts 16:11–15, Acts 16:23–34, Acts 17:22–29 Mountain, boat, synagogue, riverside, prison, Areopagus (formal public forum) What do all of these have in common? Nothing. What happened at each of these, according to the Scriptures? Messages were delivered regarding the…

Matthew 15:10–20, Luke 6:39–42, Ephesians 6:12–18 In our current political and cultural climate, there are plenty of sharp barbs being thrown out. If we wanted to, we could say flaming arrows, which is metaphorically accurate. It’s pretty nuts, and certainly unloving, unpeaceful, impatient (i.e, doesn’t…

John 20:19–23, Acts 1:4, Acts 2:1–36 The short vignette in the locked upper room after the Resurrection seems as if was a snippet of a memory that was lacking something. Yet, John felt it was important. As a precursor to Pentecost, Jesus’ statement/blessing about receiving…

Psalm 25, Jeremiah 7:21–34, John 16:7–15, Ephesians 4:15–16 The wounds of a friend are trustworthy, but the kisses of an enemy are excessive. Proverbs 27:6 Truth can be a painful thing. If delivered in the context of true friendship, the pain of the truth is…