Scripture Reading — Acts 8:1-8A great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. . . . Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.— Acts 8:1, 4History has shown that the church has often grown

Scripture Reading — Acts 2:1-21Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.— Acts 2:5On the day of Pentecost, God-fearing Jews from many nations were staying in Jerusalem. They were gathering to celebrate the Feast of Weeks that God had established for his peo

Scripture Reading — Luke 10:25-37“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”— Luke 10:27Soon after we moved into our house, new neighbors moved into the house next door. Their children

Scripture Reading — Romans 13:1-7Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.— Romans 13:1I have never met a president or a prime minister. (I did see Queen Elizabeth II of England from a distance on two occasions, though!) As

Scripture Reading — Leviticus 19:33-34“The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself. . . .”— Leviticus 19:34The Bible includes a number of stories about God’s people fleeing their homes to find refuge elsewhere. Abram and Sarai took refuge in Egypt beca

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 3:10-15If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.— 1 Corinthians 3:14My wife is an accomplished pianist. On occasion we attend a local symphony. When possible, she arranges for us to sit in a location that gives a clear view of the pianist’s

Scripture Reading — Luke 16:1-15“Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”— Luke 16:9The parable of the shrewd manager is one of Jesus’ most puzzling teachings. It can seem confusing because the dishonest manager is comm