July 6 Most of us have never encountered a situation like this. But in Paul’s context, it was not unusual. In modern-day Turkey and throughout that part of the world at the time, many people were polytheists who worshiped many gods. As part of their worship, they would offer sacrifices to one of their gods….
July 5 Paul begins 1 Corinthians 7 talking about sexual intimacy in marriage. While he prohibits sexual immorality (all sexual behavior outside the context of a one-man-one-woman covenant marital relationship), Paul encourages sexual intimacy within a covenant marital relationship. In fact, he says that giving yourself to your spouse is your conjugal duty. And it’s…
June 11 In Paul’s final chapter of Galatians, he tells the church to restore brothers and sisters who have been overtaken in any wrongdoing. (Galatians 6:1) He warns them to be careful, lest they, too, might fall into sin. In other words, Paul is telling the church’s mature believers to reach out and restore someone…
May 10 Up to this point, God has added to the number of those in the church. Three thousand here. Five thousand there. But in today’s reading, we see that God removes two people: Ananias and his wife Sapphira. Following on the heels of everyone sharing everything in Acts 4, Joseph/Barnabus sold some property and…
February 22 Matthew 18 begins with Jesus teaching His disciples from the viewpoint of children. He says that we must all become like children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, meaning we must come to Him on His terms, submitting to His kingship over us and His domain, and trusting Him like a child trusts…
February 2 Are you ready to have some of your preconceptions about God blown away? Matthew tells us, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (Matthew 4:1, CSB) 1.) Jesus was led into temptation. The writer of the book of Hebrews knew what he was…
