In today’s Bible reading*, the Apostles come to a point where they realize they can’t do it all. They couldn’t even serve tables on their own. People began accusing the Apostles of overlooking the Hellenistic (Gentile) widows and giving preference to Jewish widows. That may or may not have been the case, but the accusation…
At the end of today’s reading* from Mark 12, we find the story of the widow giving money into the treasury (Mark 12:41-44). We aren’t told if Jesus was the only person who was watching, but I think it’s safe to assume that he wasn’t alone in observing people as they dropped in their offerings….
In today’s Bible reading* Jesus warns His listeners to beware practicing your righteousness before people. In three sections, Jesus says that His followers should seek God’s approval for their good works, rather than the approval of people here and now. He says when you give… when you pray… and when you fast… don’t do like…
If you’ve been around church for very long, you’ve probably heard a message from today’s Bible reading* about robbing God. In fact, Malachi 3:10 is probably one of the most-used verses when it comes to encouraging God’s people to give a “tithe”. Many preachers preach against people robbing God by withholding the tithe. Under the…
I have seen today’s Bible reading* used as a pretext for updating church buildings. I would agree that there is a case to be made and would be in the context of today’s readings. The thought is that we need to “keep up God’s house”. But, the last time I checked, God doesn’t live in…