power ⁽¹⁸⁷⁾

1 Timothy 4:13–16, Romans 12:3–8, Acts 20:22–32 Teaching is a core function of passing on the faith. There have been plenty of stories (and continue to be) of people coming to Jesus without being taught about Jesus. The Holy Spirit moves as God wills. By…

John 17:9–19 Jesus prayed for the disciples, a lot. There is something quite interesting here. He didn’t pray for the world (that he died for). He prayed instead for his disciples. Why? Why his disciples? Jesus prayed for his disciples. Jesus prayed for his friends.

Psalm 51:1–13, Luke 15:1–10, 1 Timothy 1:12–17 “Be gracious to me…Against…you alone…have I sinned…Purify me…Turn your face…from my sins…create a clean heart for me…Do not banish me…sustain me…sinners will return to you.” The (very) abbreviated Psalm 51:1–13 above probably resonates with you. The Psalms are…

2 Peter 1:16–21, 2 Timothy 4:1–8 Yesterday, we read about mediums, sorcerers, et al., and that they were bad mostly because of the human tendency toward the self. The problem with the way this is portrayed is what seems to be an apparent conflict between…

Deuteronomy 18:9–14, 1 Samuel 28:3–25, Galatians 5:16–26 The list of people not to listen to is interesting. As part of the Israelites' preparation to enter the Promised Land, these people were to not be sought out. From a cultural standpoint, this is not a small…