response ⁽¹⁴⁹⁾

Acts 11:1–18; Galatians 3:27–29 Depending on the translation, Acts 11:18 is phrased something akin to, “even the Gentiles got the gift.” It’s not exactly the most positive response. It shows us that at the beginning of the church the new reality of a faith that…

1 Kings 18:19–19:5; Malachi 4:5–6; Matthew 17:10–13 This is a famous story. It really is very impressive how the priests of Baal were humiliated in their bloody ritual, and how God delivered magnificently and undeniable. In a quick turnaround, they went from following the Baal…

Luke 16:1–9 This is one of those interesting parables. I knew a small business owner who taught a Sunday School lesson on this passage. He was quite honest that he hated it. As a small business owner, he could not understand the apparent praise for…

Judges 4:1–24; 2 Samuel 6:12–22; Psalm 18:20–29 Many have often condemned Barak as a coward who hides behind a woman’s skirt (so to speak). What if there is something else at play? If you read the Book of Joshua and 1 & 2 Samuel, the…

Jeremiah 16:10–15; Malachi 3:1–7 Many years ago, in a bible study, an older woman said to the study leaders, “I do not believe in the God of the Old Testament. That God is cruel and unjust. I only believe in the loving God of the…