… throw yourself down.
Summary: The second temptation of Jesus is a doozy. Satan appeals to Jesus’ ego to see if he can find a crack in the armor of the Son of God.
Continue reading “Matthew 4:6 – If / Then”Matthew 5:39 – Slap Happy
If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
Summary: Allowing someone to slap us and then inviting them to slap us again is counter-intuitive. Why would anybody do that?
Continue reading “Matthew 5:39 – Slap Happy”Matthew 18:21 – A Clean Slate
Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister …?
Summary: Being forgiven is a great gift, but one that we don’t always appreciate as we should.
Continue reading “Matthew 18:21 – A Clean Slate”Matthew 4:4 – Food for the Soul
Man shall not live on bread alone …
Summary: There are two kinds of “bread” in the story about Jesus being tempted in the wilderness. One is bread for the body, the other is bread for the soul.
Continue reading “Matthew 4:4 – Food for the Soul”1 John 2:6 – Merry Christmas!
Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
Summary: What kind of gift should we give our Creator this Christmas? John gives us a clue.
Continue reading “1 John 2:6 – Merry Christmas!”Luke 1:31 – They Called Him Jesus
You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.
Summary: Faith is not a matter of blinding following the person in front of you. Our faith, Christianity, is a matter of logic and reason in a well-documented event that occurred two thousand years ago.
Continue reading “Luke 1:31 – They Called Him Jesus”John 3:13 – Waiting For Jesus
No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven…
Summary: Asking questions about the Bible often opens the door to new insights. In this meditation, we look at what it meant to be dead before Jesus had gone back to heaven. What we found might surprise you.
Continue reading “John 3:13 – Waiting For Jesus”1 Corinthians 4:20 – Kingdom Power
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
Summary: A kingdom without power is not much of a kingdom, and God’s kingdom is no different. That is why God’s Word tells us that his kingdom is a matter of power.
Continue reading “1 Corinthians 4:20 – Kingdom Power”Matthew 14:31 – Nothing to Say
…why did you doubt?
Summary: Sometimes we are confronted by an extra dose of life’s troubles. When that happens Jesus invites us to step out of the boat and join him.
Continue reading “Matthew 14:31 – Nothing to Say”Matthew 7: 28-29 — Jesus’ Authority
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
Summary: As we prepare to study the Lord’s Prayer, it is helpful to conclude our mediation on who is teaching us this prayer with a look at Jesus’ authority to teach.
Continue reading “Matthew 7: 28-29 — Jesus’ Authority”