In today’s Bible reading in Acts 12, we see that Herod kills James. Because the Jewish leaders respond favorably, Herod imprisons Peter, presumably to be executed. Knowing how badly things have turned out in the past with Jesus and His followers, Herod assigns four squads of soldiers to guard Peter. This seems like overkill since there were…
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…
In today’s Bible reading tells us that Jesus’ Disciples devoted themselves to … prayer. (Acts 2:42) So what does it mean to devote yourself to prayer? As a pastor, I receive emails from time to time asking me to complete a survey in exchange for an ebook. I completed one of those surveys a few…
In today’s Bible reading we read that after celebrating the Passover meal with His Disciples, He leads them to the Garden of Gethsemane singing a hymn. Jesus asked three of His Disciples, Peter, James, and John to pray with Him. He tells them that he is greatly distressed and troubled and asks them to remain there and…
In today’s Bible reading* we come across Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seeds (Mark 4:3-9). It’s a familiar story for those of us who grew up going to church. We’ve heard it at least a million times, right? According to the parable, as the sower scattered the seed, some of the seed fell…
In today’s Bible reading* Jesus warns His listeners to beware of practicing their 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…
