Please turn to today’s reading Matthew 22:36-40. Again, we find two groups teaming up to ensnare Jesus. They ask, “What is the greatest of all commandments?” Categorizing them under the umbrella of love, He replied. “First love God and second love your neighbor as yourself.” As we learn from the parable of the Good Samaritan, a neighbor is the person who responds to someone in need with genuine care regardless of class, religion, ethnicity or status as was highlighted in

Please read Matthew 22:1-14. The wedding banquet is not like today’s wedding; the celebration could last a week. Everything was prepared and people refused the invitation. This does not seem logical, and I suppose it is precisely why Jesus made this comparison, as it is even more illogical to refuse God’s gifts. Sadly, these folks cut themselves off from the fellowship of the host and the guests. During the second invitation, another chance, the joy and emphasizing the d

There are 8.3 billion people on earth and today’s focus is on unity. The first Sunday in October is Worldwide Communion Sunday and about two billion people gather to celebrate Christ’s love as believers. Read 1 Peter 3:8-11 and Micah 6:6-8 to hear about our responsibility regarding our attitude, how to manage conflict, and the importance of pursuing peace as we strive to be one in the Lord. Maybe like me, you grew up hearing that we live in a melting pot. It was not lo

Please turn to Philippians 2:1-11. What is your first thought in the morning? Let us hear what Paul, who remains in prison, is writing to the Philippians regarding the importance to living right. Not mincing words, this is a tall order. Paul is asking the Philippians to get along and love one another. It is something we expect from children but we need reinforced throughout life. Paul is expecting the Philippians and us, to think of ourselves the way Christ thought

Please read Philippians 1:20-31 and hear Paul’s win-win scenario. Paul begins his letter to the church saying that dying is gain. How? I want to be clear; he is not being flip about death. We know from other passages in scripture that Paul understands the pain and grief and separation brought about from death, yet weighing it all out, he concludes that dying is gain. Why? Simply because he understands the value of an eternity with Christ. Paul did not view death with fea

Failed jobs, broken relationships, and crushed plans often feel like punishments, but when we stay the course, we learn that opened doors and opportunities and closed doors and challenges are times of redirection and recalculation. Please turn to Genesis 50:15-21. "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" is one of my life verses…a verse I have found myself challenged by ea

Please read Romans 6:1-11. In Romans 5:20 we read, “Where sin is abound, grace is more abound,” that does not mean it’s ok to sin. Being a Christian makes a difference in how we live. With every major life event we are altered. We are changed through relationships, accidents, careers, illness, healing, death of a loved one, finances, and traumas and of course, forging a relationship with Jesus. Have you ever considered that grace is God’s currency. Grace is free and ab

Read Matthew 9:9-12. In the time of Jesus, tax collectors in Jerusalem were Jewish men who worked for the Roman officials. They had the reputation of harassing their fellow Jews, inflating the amounts charged, skimming money off the top, shaking people down, and often requiring them (by force) to pay their taxes more than once. So, what a surprise to hear Jesus’ call to Matthew, in the tax collector booth, “Follow me!” It would be like Jesus recruiting at a prison or alon

Please read Matthew 28:18-20. Trinity Sunday is a day connecting our theology (what we believe) to the community. In these few verses we read that our God is three persons in one, that we are commanded to share the gospel, and that we are never without God. There is no single explanation that will completely satisfy us regarding the Trinity. Why? Because God is a mystery with some certainties. It is hard to describe God because we do not have the capacity to unders

Please read Acts 2:1-21. Pentecost (fifty days after Easter) is the day the Church received the Spirit, a day we are comforted that God provides and sustains us, gifting believers with the Spirit’s fruits. Today we celebrate the Spirit–creating the church. It’s a day we witness a lightbulb moment of mature faith in the lives of the disciples. Peter speaks with confidence, insisting that those within earshot listen to him. The disciples stepped into courageous leadership

An admirer once asked orchestra conductor Leonard Bernstein which instrument was the hardest to play. He quipped, “Second fiddle. He said, “I can always get plenty of first violinists, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm is quite a problem.” A posture of humility is something we are expected to embrace. Let us hear what Peter says, turn to 1 Peter 5:5b-11. Paradoxically speaking, Peter is saying, the way up is down. Again, we are addressin

Please read John 14:15-21. Jesus begins the conversation saying, “If you love me, keep my commands.” At first, we might think, if, what do you mean if? Our response is, of course they loved Him and of course we love Jesus! Love is more challenging than we sometimes consider it to be. I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians 13. Love means serving with humility, putting aside our egos, helping unconditionally, and honoring equality in all. Loving Jesus means following in H

Please read John 14:1-14. In this farewell discourse Jesus is exposing glimpses of his future. He is preparing the disciples and in doing so we sense tension. They have just heard that Jesus will be betrayed. And Jesus responds, “Don’t be unnerved, trust me.” Amid the uncertainty they hear Jesus confidently tell them about a secure future. This is a lesson of let go and let God! Jesus begins saying, “Don’t be troubled, a place is prepared for you.” Church, Heaven far exc

Please read Psalm 23 and 1 Peter 2:19-25. Following God as we travel through the mire of life is our charge; we need help. David’s dependency on God sets the tone for how we are to trust in God. When we are baptized, we are called to a new way of life as Christ’s disciples. In baptism, God claims us as his children and members of the church, cleansing us from sin as we renounce the power of evil and seek God’s will and way. We are in a sense, branded; set apart

Please read Luke 24:13-35. Has there ever been something you didn’t understand and figured out later? This encounter on the road to Emmaus focuses on that light bulb moment. As two men walked and talked, digesting the events that took place…they unpacked a lot. This walk-and-talk idea can be helpful to us too. While the dust kicked up and the sun shifted, Jesus came from behind, eventually walking along with them. We know that they were also kept from recognizing him. Wh

Please read John 20:19-31. When we think about the disciples certain ones come to mind as do their traits, Thomas was the doubter. He struggled to believe. It seems to me that almost every big thought embraces some doubt. Yes, Thomas doubted, but is that such a bad thing? He wanted physical proof. We know all too well the expression, “Seeing is believing” and maybe there’s something good in that. As we know, every word of Scripture is meaningful, so this doubt had a pur

Before we dig into Matthew 28:1-10 I want to address two recent questions. Concerned, someone asked me, why are there differences in the gospels? I responded because each is being reported by a different person. I posit that their training, education, audience and background impacted their perspective, and ultimately their narrative. If each account were verbatim, I would wonder why? It would seem practiced. Friends, the differences do not negate what happened that re

Please read Matthew 21:1-11. Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The people were counting on His leadership to deliver them from the Roman Empire’s domination. They were eager – full of anticipation, seeking freedom from oppression. As prophesized, Jesus entered Jerusalem on a young donkey (see Zechariah 9:9). Here we find Jesus, King of kings, full of humility, walking alongside the crowds, making the humblest of entries. The huge ne

To trust God, we need to believe in the reliability, truth, ability and strength of God. When life goes well, trust is easy; when it’s hard we are challenged. Reading John 11, we learn that Lazarus was sick. His sisters, Mary and Martha, send an urgent message for Jesus’ help. Jesus arrived four days after Lazarus passed away. When He finally showed up, we hear pain--there is a little blame, some disappointment, and a lot of grief and…then…a tremendous amount of faith. C

Please read 1 Samuel 16:1-13. Samuel was the last judge and first prophet of Israel. Like other nations, Israel wanted a king. So directed by God, Samuel appointed Saul the first king. Beginning with promise, Saul came to exhibit persistent disobedience to God’s commands. Saul appeared to be the whole package, but he looked to people for affirmation instead of God and eventually lost the kingdom. What some failed to acknowledge, God was, is and will always be in contr