Focal Passage: Luke 3:1-6; 4:14-21 Luke was not born a Jew. In fact, he was born a Greek. Some have suggested he may have been a Hellenized Jew, but nonetheless still very much a Gentile before becoming a Christian in 51 A.D. He was born in the city of Antioch in Syria. Luke was deeply influenced by Greek culture and the search for knowledge and understanding. Thus, he was a
Focal Passage: Genesis 19:12-26 Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). I have often found these words of Jesus compelling. It represents a forward-looking Jesus. Get to work and look ahead! The instrument of work, the plow, is the constant element in His declaration. When studying Jesus, many have found leadership traits focused not
Focal Passage: Luke 17:1-10 Evidence of a mature faith: I have often had people tell me that they do not understand a large portion of Scriptures that they have read. My response is always the same. Pray and ask God to illuminate your mind and look to wise and trusted teachers to help you in your understanding of a given passage. When you consider Luke 17:1-4, Jesus’ instructions are pretty
Focal Passage: Genesis 17:1-10;15-19 When I was born, the firstborn to my parents, my father and mother named me after the most important man in my father’s life — his father. Upon the birth of our firstborn, my wife and I named him after the man who held the utmost significance in my life — my father. When our daughter was born, she was given the name of my deceased
Focal Passage: Luke 12:22-34 Where is your anxiety: In my 40-plus years of ministry I have found myself asking people, “What is your greatest fear?” The answers have varied from person to person, but typically it is a general anxiety of not knowing their future. In these verses Jesus has gathered with His disciples and tells them in Luke 12:23, “Don’t worry about your life.” He is not telling them
Focal Passage: Genesis 15:1-6; 16:1-6 I am impatient, and, as a result, I am a work in progress. I do not like to watch commercials on TV. I do not like to wait in line at restaurants. I do not like to sit in traffic. Waiting is an interruption into what I think my schedule ought to be. So, “waiting on the Lord” humbles me. I grow so impatient, just
Focal Passage: Luke 11:1-13 Praying to a Holy God. I am always amazed when I hear how people approach God. We find the proper approach to God in Luke 11:2. Jesus instructs His disciples, “Whenever you pray, say, Father, your name be honored as holy.” I believe that we are absolutely God’s precious children, but I think we have often forgotten that He is our Lord. This scripture takes me
Focal Passage: Genesis 12:1-5a; 13:11-18 As a minister, one of my most enjoyable moments is standing before a couple who make promises to each other as they become husband and wife. When these couples come to see me before they get married, I talk about promises each will make to the other on their marriage day. I ask them to thoughtfully write what they promise to do for the other
Focal Passage: Luke 8:41-42,49-56 When nothing else matters: In Luke 8:41-42 we find a narrative that most all of us can relate to in some respect. Jesus has just come from Gadara where he has restored a man possessed by a demon and returned to Capernaum. There is a crowd gathered around Jesus and suddenly a man named Jairus fell at Jesus’s feet. He was a leader in the synagogue.
Focal Passage: Genesis 11:1-9 After retirement, my dad served for a year as an interim pastor in Kowloon, Hong Kong, at an English-speaking church. My family went for a visit. Dad wanted to take us out to experience the Hong Kong culture and took us downtown in a taxi to a small “hole in the wall” restaurant for an authentic Chinese meal. Dad had help writing down directions and ordering
Focal Passage: Luke 3:1-6; 4:14-21 Luke was not born a Jew. In fact, he was born a Greek. Some have suggested he may have been
Focal Passage: Genesis 19:12-26 Jesus said, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God”
Focal Passage: Luke 17:1-10 Evidence of a mature faith: I have often had people tell me that they do not understand a large portion of
Focal Passage: Genesis 17:1-10;15-19 When I was born, the firstborn to my parents, my father and mother named me after the most important man in
Focal Passage: Luke 12:22-34 Where is your anxiety: In my 40-plus years of ministry I have found myself asking people, “What is your greatest fear?”
Focal Passage: Genesis 15:1-6; 16:1-6 I am impatient, and, as a result, I am a work in progress. I do not like to watch commercials
Focal Passage: Luke 11:1-13 Praying to a Holy God. I am always amazed when I hear how people approach God. We find the proper approach
Focal Passage: Genesis 12:1-5a; 13:11-18 As a minister, one of my most enjoyable moments is standing before a couple who make promises to each other
Focal Passage: Luke 8:41-42,49-56 When nothing else matters: In Luke 8:41-42 we find a narrative that most all of us can relate to in some
Focal Passage: Genesis 11:1-9 After retirement, my dad served for a year as an interim pastor in Kowloon, Hong Kong, at an English-speaking church. My
