Scripture Reading — Mark 10:13-16“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” — Mark 10:14My church denomination baptizes children, and one of the great joys for me as a pastor

Scripture Reading — Acts 11:19-26Those who had been scattered by the persecution . . . traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. — Acts 11:19For the past few days we have been tracking the spread of

Scripture Reading — Acts 8:1-8On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. — Acts 8:1We see Jesus’ words to his disciples fulfilled, in part

Scripture Reading — Acts 6:1-7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly. . . . — Acts 6:7As we saw earlier in the book of Acts, Jesus promised his followers that the Holy Spirit would empower them to bec

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. — 1 Thessalonians 1:8Last year, my favorite baseball team came within inches of winn

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. — 1 Thessalonians 1:8Old Testament scholars will tell us that in Hebrew writing, the

Scripture Reading — Acts 1:4-11“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” — Acts 1:8Picture someone striking a large gong with a mallet, maybe as part of an orchestra or a marching band