Competition is a great teacher—a type of spiritual crucible...All through high school, my friend, Ellery, and I kept up a running competition in our math classes. We tallied numerical scores on...
My second job, like my lawn-mowing gig, was arranged by my father. A local daycare center needed a janitor to come in every evening and do some cleaning. There was a tile hallway...
Something in me recoils when I read this passage. How can Jesus expect me not to fight back when I am attacked? Not to defend myself if I am sued? Can he be...
When Jesus taught in his hometown, people said, "What's this wisdom that’s been given to him? Isn't this the carpenter?"
In the time of Jesus, people made vows to offer assurance that they would do as they had said. But they didn't "swear to God" for fear that if they failed to perform...
In Jesus' day, the right of a Jewish man to divorce his wife was assumed. Some rabbis argued, like Jesus, that divorce was permitted only in the case of a wife's unfaithfulness. Others...
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A few years ago a number of us at church sat around, trying to figure out the nature of our little community...
No doubt about it. Listening is one of the hardest things you will ever do. ...
Christians often fall into two different extremes when it comes to matters of right and wrong. On the one hand, some lean toward legalism, implying or even teaching that we need to keep...
I found this post by "Julie, a college Junior who loves a cup of tea and a good book" over at Bloom...
Jesus follows the "salt of the earth" metaphor with a similar one: "You are the light of the world." Here the emphasis is upon the visibility of the disciples. We who follow Jesus...
Salt had a wide variety of uses in the ancient world. It was a preservative, a purifier, and even an ingredient in fertilizer. But in this passage, Jesus emphasizes the usage of salt...
The last of the beatitudes is an elaboration of the previous one: "God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for...
We would hope that doing what's right would be accepted, perhaps even rewarded. Often this is the case. If we do what's...
From a biblical point of view, a pure heart is a heart of integrity. It entails singlemindedness in devotion to God. Moreover, those who honor God with their whole hearts will also live...
Real Live Preacher has an interesting piece up about the ancient craft of scribal calligraphy. We aren't the first generation to consider that our daily work is a calling. The big surprise at the...
Our partner ministry, Laity Lodge is pleased to have Dr. Marva Dawn as their speaker at the June 5-8 retreat (along with...
What is mercy? The biblical language for mercy suggests compassion for those in need as well as forgiveness for those who have done wrong. Proverbs 14:21, in language very similar to Matthew 5:7,...
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the...
