power ⁽¹⁸⁷⁾

Proverbs 15:1, Proverbs 25:15, Isaiah 40:10–14, Matthew 12:11–21 (read online ⧉) The mission statement of the Church of the Nazarene is, "to make Christ-like disciples in all nations." In case you've forgotten, though you probably haven't, one of the tasks of Christians is to make…

Isaiah 44:21-23, Matthew 20:22–28, John 12:26 (read online ⧉) What is a servant? That isn’t a small question. In fact, in our culture, it is a huge thing. The cultural implications are generally demeaning (Alfred notwithstanding). That probably has a lot to do with the…

2 Samuel 12:5–14, John 7:53–8:11 (read online ⧉) David’s behavior was wrong. Sadly, in the wider (non-Israelite) culture, it wasn’t all that unexpected. In fact, many of the pieces within the story show a progression that would have not surprised anyone hearing it, that is…

Isaiah 49:8–13, John 4:3–14, Hebrews 2:1–4 Has the so-called Christmas euphoria finally died down for you? If this was more of a “blue” (i.e., one of mourning, loss, or depression), are you relieved that you don’t feel the pressure of “keeping up” appearances? Christmas, as…

Jeremiah 31:15–20, Matthew 2:13–23, Hebrews 2:11–18 (read online ⧉) In the Evangelical Church, and even in the so-called mainstream American Denominations, the day of Holy Innocents is often skipped over. It’s uncomfortable. It’s weird. To our sensibilities, it just makes no sense. Like so many…