The first thing the Bible tells us is that God is a creator. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the...
God lays the foundations for human work: dominion, relationships, fruitfulness, provision, and limits.
Power is essential to most work, and it must be exercised rightly. Psalm 136 lays out the proper use of power by...
At first glance, Psalm 136 is a psalm of thanksgiving.
Some situations may be redeemable. Others may be beyond redemption. In Genesis 6:6-8 , we hear God's lament about the state of...
Once again on dry land with this new beginning, Noah's first act is to build an altar to the Lord (Gen. 8:20)...
No matter how great the disaster, God is greater still.
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Psalm 16 begins with a cry for divine help: "Keep me safe, O God, for I have come to you for refuge"...
The foundational expression of God’s work came to dramatic fruition when God decisively led his people through the Red Sea, releasing them...
Isaiah paints a picture of the values that must characterize the people of God.
Text Suggestions Isaiah 55:6-9 8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my...
In contrast to the arrogant pride and self-sufficiency that will bring us down or the exploitation of the poor in order to...
Faith is not just a matter of belief but a life of wholehearted and full-bodied worship. Every part of me and every part of you is required for discipleship.
Ezekiel's theology of work would be incomplete if not placed in the full context of future restoration alluded to throughout the book...
Do you ever wish you had a new heart? I'm not asking about a physical heart, but a new way of being...
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! Psalm 43:5 If Psalm 43 seems strangely...
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones. ...
In Psalm 143, David cries out to the Lord for help.
God rejoices when his people are made whole. Our joys become his joys.
Shout to the LORD, all the earth; break out in praise and sing for joy! Sing your praise to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and melodious song, with trumpets and...
He turned the rock into a pool of water; yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock. Psalm 114:8 Do you...
Although God’s grace has come into the world to bring reconciliation and justice, there are still evil spiritual powers at work opposing...
The topics of status and grace return to the fore as Jesus faces his trial and crucifixion. “The Son of Man came...
The next section of Acts moves the Christian community, by the power of the Spirit, across cultural barriers as the gospel of...
For twenty-three years, Jeremiah prophesied the coming destruction of Jerusalem (from God’s case against Judah in chapter 2 through chapter 28).[1] Then...
Donna got up on the wrong side of the bed—and she let people know it.
This call to reorientation means that we reshape our lives to think and do according to Jesus’...
More than any other Gospel writer, Matthew emphasizes the earth-shattering implications of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and brings us...
Often schools and churches sponsor international banquets, festive meals in which people bring foods representing diverse cultures. At such a feast you...
The episode on the road to Emmaus is a fitting example of generosity for all Jesus’ followers. At first it seems to...
Though his resurrected body had unusual capabilities, Jesus was present in flesh and blood.
There is no question that the story of Pentecost is central to the life of the early...
In the opening line of his letter, Peter addresses his readers as “exiles . . . who have been chosen” (1 Pet...
Most of the apostles have the same title. Saint John. Saint Matthew. Saint Peter. But Thomas had a special title: Doubting Thomas...
Recently, I’ve been thinking about what it means to live all of the time in God’s presence.
Psalm 116 celebrates God’s goodness. The psalmist has experienced God’s grace in manifold expressions. God has heard his prayers (116:1). God delivered him from death (116:3-6), guided his steps ...
Read Luke 24:13-35 with your small group and use this study to discuss hospitality and recognizing Jesus.
Every time I read the story of Jesus’ encounter with two of his followers on the road from Jerusalem to Emmaus, I...
After Peter announces the Spirit’s creation of a new kind of community, Acts traces the rapid growth...
While we seek to honor God in our work, this does not mean the road will be easy.
The Lord is my pace-setter, I shall not rush.
Psalm 23 is one of the most beloved Scriptures in the world, but early Hebrews probably found it hard to swallow. God a shepherd? Definitely not kosher.
David Hataj, CEO, Egerton Gear, Inc., on Non-Judgmental Corporate Culture Change I returned home after 8 years to assume leadership of my...
Learning to Save My Students Instead of Judging Them (Click Here to Read) An encounter with the words of Jesus in John 12 encourages a teacher to change his approach to his relationship...
Acts takes place in the earthy reality of a genuine community, and it does not gloss over the threat that the effects...
That afternoon, every employee in Jenny’s department watched the clock nervously. At 3 p.m., emails would go out to those getting laid off. At 3:01, her inbox dinged. Jenny was out of work. ...
Chapters 13 through 17, often called the Upper Room Discourse, contain so much profound theology that we can only touch on a...
Scripture Genesis 1:27-28 27 So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he...
Despite the need to confront the power brokers in the wider culture, confrontation is not always the best way for the Christian...
Psalm 66 celebrates God’s glory as it is revealed in his mighty works. This celebration is meant, not just for Jews, but for the whole earth (66:1). Yet how are those who have...
In Psalm 66, an anonymous poet celebrates God’s awesome deeds. His example of testifying to what God has done serves as an example for the whole earth, so that everyone might join in the...
Come, everyone! Clap your hands! Shout to God with joyful praise! Psalm 47:1 In the past three decades, Christians throughout the world have learned to worship more expressively. Even in formerly staid mainline...
When I lived in Southern California, I occasionally enjoyed body surfing at the beach. It was a thrill to get out in the surf, to swim as fast as I could just as...
In the book of Acts, Jesus’ mission to restore the world as God intended it to be is transformed into the mission of the community of Jesus’ followers. Acts traces the life of...
The book of Acts begins with a post-resurrection interaction between Jesus and his disciples. Jesus teaches his disciples about “the kingdom of...
God's restoring work involves human beings both as recipients of grace and as participants in the work.
Full Christianity: Doing, Thinking, and Being (Click here to read) In this daily reflection from The High Calling Mark Roberts considers how...
The phrase "in a nutshell" means something like "in a very brief summary" or "in very few words." Some scholars trace the English use of this phrase to William Shakespeare's play Hamlet. In Act 2,...
Scripture Psalm 68:4-6 4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to...
Psalm 68 celebrates God’s care for Israel. It does so with a wide variety of images, many of which highlight God’s power and justice in stirring and even disturbing ways (68:2, 21-23). Yet Psalm 68...
God places the lonely in families he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy. But he makes the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalms 68:6 When I read Psalm 68:6, the...
Peter now gives instructions for church leaders, termed “elders” (“presbyters” and “bishops” in the Anglicized Greek derivations used in many churches today)...
From the beginning, God intended human work as a form of creativity under or alongside God’s own creativity.
Psalm 104 celebrates God’s greatness by reflecting on the wonders of creation. As we see the glories of this world, even in...
The use of what have come to be called “spiritual gifts” (12:1) seems to have caused much contention in the church of...
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