Greeting Well or Not at All There are three opportunities for a church to interact with visitors: before, during, and after the service. Some churches failed at each occasion and only a few excelled at all three—though every church should. Pre-Church Greeting First, greeting people before the service is critical, as it’s the first impression […]
Who Will Roll Away the Stone? Today’s passage: John 20:1, along with Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:1–3, and Luke 24:1 Focus verse: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. (John 20:1) With the Sabbath over, Mary Magdalene can again do manual labor. She returns […]
David Found Strength in God When His Men Wanted to Kill Him When David and his men return from battle, they find that the Amalekites had raided their base, taken their families, and stolen all their belongings. David’s men are mad, and they blame him. They’re so inflamed with anger that they talk about killing […]
Today’s passage: 1 John 4:19–21 Focus verse: We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19) Perhaps the most misused, most misunderstood word in English is love. I love my wife, and I love to watch movies. I love nature, and I love blue. I love to write, and I love spring. I also love God. […]
God Created Us to Work, So Don’t Stop I’ve worked from home since 2000. That’s a long time, and I doubt I could ever return to a more typical workplace environment. Through most of this time, neighbors would ask if I had retired. (How old did they think I was, anyway?) I’d smile and tell […]
Dating Churches or Settling Down Visiting churches seems a lot like dating: both parties are, in theory, on their best behavior and hopeful of a positive outcome. Dating is fun—for a while. There’s variety and excitement for each outing, but eventually an emptiness emerges, and you yearn for more. You seek connection, you want commitment, […]
He Has Risen! Today’s passage: John 20:1–18 Focus verse: Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18) Jesus dies. His body is prepared for burial and his human shell is placed in a tomb. A large stone seals the entrance. But this isn’t the end. In many […]
Even If God Sets Us Up for Success, We’ll Fail If We Don’t Obey Him God’s chosen people, the nation of Israel, ask for a king. This isn’t what God wants, but he gives them what they request. He gives them a king. At God’s direction, Samuel anoints Saul as king, appointing him ruler over […]
Today’s passage: 1 John 4:16–18 Focus verse: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. (1 John 4:18) In the Old Testament of the Bible, we read the command to “fear God” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). In the New Testament we see the principle to “love God” (1 Corinthians 8:3), and we read that God is […]
Read What Scripture Says about Jesus’s Resurrection Happy Easter! And Happy Resurrection Day! Today is the time when we remember—and celebrate—Jesus overcoming death and rising from the dead. Each gospel account of Jesus in the Bible tells us about Easter: Matthew The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that […]