The cartoon caught my attention. Verbalizing and explaining cartoons is difficult because cartoons are meant to be visual. Let me try to share the picture! Use your imagination. The scene is in front of a church building. The church marquee clues us in–it is Easter Sunday. The man greeting the preacher after the Easter sermon …
Category Archives: Sunday
Sunday: Thankful For–Thankful Anyway
Life is difficult. Very few people would claim that life is without difficulties and challenges, disappointments and regrets. We would like to change some things about the past. We wish there were “do overs.” Things have not come out as we planned, hoped, dreamed. People, even in our own family and among those closest to …
Sunday: Love and Power
We talk about love but do not understand it. We love love, we do not live love. Love and power are opposites. They do not coexist. When I operate from power, love is not on display. A bad question: “Who’s going to rule the house?” Another bad question: “Who runs this church?”Understand the contrast, difference, …
Sunday: With Pedro Sanchez, my “socio”
Through the years, I have often worshiped in English at an early service and then worshiped in Spanish at a later service. I am blessed when I get to study the Bible and worship in Spanish. That blessing is seldom more apparent than when my good friend and brother, Pedro Sanchez, from Santiago, Chile, is …
Sunday: Joy
Most people in this world want to be happy. There may be a few scrooges who relish negativism and pessimism, but in my experience such people are the exception. Are we looking for happiness in the wrong places? Many seek happiness in possessions, experiences, work, relationships, prestige, or popularity. John wrote to struggling Christians near …
Sunday: “Letters from an Old Man”
Reading Paul’s latter letters, he was probably 60+ years old, perhaps nearing 70. This week I will celebrate birthday #75. What does an old man see when he looks back on life? I share only a sampling, drawn from the letters Paul wrote toward the end of his life! What God’s Word says is important–it …
Sunday: Knowing the Jesus who gives life [John’s Gospel]
John paints a wonderful and amazing portrait of Jesus. Jesus comes to make possible “life.” John’s theme song is not salvation. (In fact salvation is not among the most common New Testament words. Salvation is little and infrequently used in the New Testament–rather interesting given the vocabulary of popular preachers today. Especially for John, Jesus …
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Sunday: Knowing the Jesus who came for everyone [Luke’s Gospel]
Do You Know My Jesus? Do you know the Jesus who came for everyone? Good questions, and foundation for understanding the Gospels of Jesus. Matthew’s portrait of Jesus is of royalty–the Jewish Messiah (Christ, Anointed One) who comes as King in the Kingdom of God, but a different kind of King, benevolent and persuasive rather …
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Sunday: Knowing the Jesus who touches people [Gospel of Mark]
When I present seminars on Mark’s Gospel, I like to include a series of lessons I call, “People Jesus Touched.” Many of these lessons come from Mark 5-8. [Outline Note: Mark 1-4 answers the question, “Who is Jesus?” Mark 5:1-8:21 asks, “Who can be a follower of Jesus?” Mark 8:22-10:52, deals with the question, “What does …
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Sunday: Seeking Kingdom Things [Matthew’s Discourses]
What does the Gospel of Matthew reveal about the Kingdom? How does one seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness? Matthew’s Gospel has five major discourses or teaching sections. These are clearly marked in the text by parallel concluding phrases (Mt. 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). One can easily identify the teaching sections …
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