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“I want all your moments to be punctuated with thanksgiving.” Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, April 16 Punctuation marks. Like chalky erasers, you probably haven’t thought about them since grade school. Punctuation directs the reader. Road signs without the flash of color. Quotation marks designate dialogue. Periods command a full stop while commas mark a simple pause.…

The crowd at the tomb. Not a crowd really, but a small gathering. A bevy of ladies. A group of gals. A mass of Marys. Between the Gospel writers, we compile this list:  Mary Magdalene Joanna the wife of Cuza who managed Herod’s household  Mary the mother of James and Joses  Salome the wife of…

           The whisper brushed through the crowd on a breeze. “He’s coming.” Palm branches rustled as the throng of people lined the streets from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem. Heads craned to see Lazarus, the disciples, and finally, the prophet from Nazareth. Fathers hoisted children onto their shoulders as their wives stood on tiptoe. Children…

Christians live in the now and not yet.  The now? Saved by grace, but the sin nature remains—and we wrestle with the darn thing every day. The Holy Spirit indwells us, but we wallow in the muddy place between salvation and glorification. That zone where the butterfly battles to free itself from its chrysalis. Where…

How much do you know about the Trinity? Here’s a short quiz: 1. The Trinity is one God. T/F 2. The Trinity is three gods. T/F 3. The Trinity is one God expressed in three Persons. T/F 4. The Son and the Spirit were created by the Father as His first works. T/F 5. The…

Scripture speaks at length about warfare. Believers no longer walk under the authority of the enemy, yet sometimes we surrender the fight. Then Scripture tosses the book of Job our way. Job What about Job? Let’s read Job 1:8-12 NIV: Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth…

All authority has been given. Let’s talk about Satan’s authority. What authority does he have and why? Does he have authority over us? The World “The devil led him [Jesus] up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you…

Let’s continue our discussion on authority. While God the Father gave Jesus extensive authority, the authority Jesus gave the Twelve and the seventy He sent out seems limited to power over the demonic realm and the power to heal—all in the context of proclaiming the coming kingdom. The signs performed authenticated the message proclaimed.  In…

Got authority? Maybe. Maybe not.  What Is Authority? When you study authority in the New Testament, you notice immediately that authority is given. You can’t faith it into existence. The Father gave authority to Jesus. Jesus gave authority to the Twelve and to the seventy.  Interestingly, Satan offers authority to Jesus in exchange for worship.…

“There is much need for prayer and much cause to praise. Suffering should elicit prayer. Sufficiency should elicit praise.” (Blue, The Bible Knowledge Commentary) The fast pace of life can cause prayer to be a last resort. And praise? It’s often reserved for church. God intended both to be part of our normal day. Though Todd…