Blog (Page 6)
Daily Devotions
Acts 2: 2a, 36-41…“Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” According to Luke Peter’s sermon had a profound effect on the Judean Jews who were in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost. They were convicted by his words and asked what they should do. What Peter suggests reminds us of the message…
Daily Devotions
John 20:26-31…“Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’” vs. 29 Because Thomas has been known as the doubting disciple, he’s a favorite for those who struggle with doubts in their faith journey. In reality though, John tells us that Thomas became a believer because he saw the Risen Jesus face to face. In other words, he got lucky! For the rest of…
Daily Devotions
John 20:19-25…“When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’” vss. 22-23 John combines elements of Luke’s Pentecost story and Matthew’s Great Commission in telling this account of Jesus’ post-resurrection encounter with his disciples. His words are carefully chosen and tell us plainly that the dynamic energy of the Church comes…
Daily Devotions
1 Peter 1:6-9…“Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy…” vs. 8 Even though these words were written to people living two thousand years ago they offer a precise fit for our situation. We have not seen the Risen Christ and yet we love him. We feast on his words and study his parables, believing that the new…
Daily Devotions
1 Peter 1:3-5…“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..” vs. 3 This little letter was probably sent from the Christian community in Rome and carried the name of Peter, who Roman Catholics regard as the first pope. It’s addressed to the large community of believers living in Asia Minor, present day Turkey.…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 16:7-11…“You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” vs. 11 The psalmist was sold on the Lord. He had no regrets about casting his lot with the Creator and Sustainer of life. We can rightly assume that he took every opportunity available for singing praises in worship and that he gladly brought his offerings to the altar. That’s how it is when we live in…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 16:1-6…“The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.” vss. 5-6 The psalmist was thrilled with his life and he gave all the credit to God. Not only did he have a goodly heritage, he lived in a pleasant place. We don’t know if he was rich or poor but it’s obvious that he was content. He had enough! It’s…
Daily Devotions
Acts 2:14a, 22-24…“But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.” vs. 24 Luke reports that Peter assumed leadership of the little community of believers in Jerusalem and summarizes the content of his teaching in just a few paragraphs. Here Peter addresses those he calls Israelites, those Jews living in Judea and in Galilee who were familiar with Jesus. He doesn’t pull punches and accuses them of…
Daily Devotions
Matthew 28:1-10…“But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” vss. 5-6 Each of the four gospels have different accounts of Jesus’ resurrection, but there are two things that they have in common. First, each of them features an empty tomb! The body of Jesus is nowhere to…
Daily Devotions
Romans 6:3-11…“Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.” vs. 4 The disciples of Jesus were very familiar with the practice of baptism. The gospel of John hints that, like Jesus, at least a couple of them had been baptized by John the Baptist. That was a particular kind of baptism, a…
Daily Devotions
Psalm 22… “The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD. May your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.” vss. 26-27 Psalm 22 is familiar to most believers because it begins with the words Jesus uttered from the cross, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” According to Mark and Matthew these…
Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 “…the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” vss. 23-24 It’s very likely that these words from Jesus have been quoted more often than any other. They’re known as the Words of Institution and no celebration of the Holy Eucharist can be complete without their being…