Scripture Reading — Acts 4:1-22“When they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit. . . .”— Matthew 10:19Are you ever at a loss for words? I am, at times, in difficult or sensitive situati
Scripture Reading — Acts 2:22-39“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”— Acts 2:38How many keys do you have? I have several keys that I use often, and we have lots of old or unused keys at home.Jesus gave Peter the most important keys
Scripture Reading — Acts 1:15-26In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty). . . .— Acts 1:15Have you heard of the “Peter Principle”? It’s a management theory by Laurence J. Peter suggesting that employees will rise to the level of their incompeten
Scripture Reading — John 21:1-19Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.”— John 21:17This passage echoes a couple of earlier scenes in the story of Jesus and his disciples.On the night Jesus was arrested, while Peter crouched for warmth by a fire in the high priest’s courtyard, he was asked three times by some o
Scripture Reading — John 20:1-10Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter. . . .— John 20:3I’m not much of a runner. I prefer walking. In an urgent situation, though, I would run if I had to. When Peter and John heard that Jesus’ tomb h
Scripture Reading — John 18:1-14Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”— John 18:11I sometimes carry a small pocket knife—not for protection, but for small tasks like slicing apples to eat. Peter, however, carried a sword for protection on the
Scripture Reading — Matthew 26:31-35Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.”— Matthew 26:33There’s wisdom in the saying “Never say never.” But when we are determined not to do something, we can easily say, “I’ll never do that!”After the Last Supper, Peter passionately
Scripture Reading — John 13:1-17“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”— John 13:8In summertime I often wear sandals. If I walk on sidewalks and pavement, my feet stay relatively clean. But when I venture onto a dirt path, my feet will quickly get dirty, and they’ll need washing when I get
Scripture Reading — Luke 22:7-13Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”— Luke 22:8At our house, busyness swirls as we prepare for big meals at Thanksgiving and Christmastime. Wrestling a big meal onto the table requires lots of planning.That was undo
Scripture Reading — Mark 11:12-25Peter remembered [the fig tree] and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”— Mark 11:21There’s a small tree in our yard that needs to be removed because of its inconvenient location. It seems a shame to chop it down, though. When Peter not
Scripture Reading — Matthew 19:23-30Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”— Matthew 19:27Often in life we are taught that we will be rewarded for certain behaviors and actions—especially if we try hard and work at something with all our heart. In
Scripture Reading — Matthew 18:21-35Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”— Matthew 18:21Sometimes when I’m alone and driving long distances, I listen to “golden oldies” on the radio. One song I occasionally
