Scripture Reading — Acts 10:1-23“Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”— Acts 10:20What happens when you hear God give you an instruction? You do what he says.But what if God tells you something, and it doesn’t seem to make sense?In Acts 10 we read about a strange dream Peter had, a
Scripture Reading — Acts 9:1-19“Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.”— Acts 9:15Would you expect wine to come from a jug of motor oil? What if you cracked open an egg and found maple syrup inside? Or how about opening y
Scripture Reading — Acts 4:32-37Joseph . . . sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.— Acts 4:36-37When you see a person who has met Jesus and who is changing to live more and more like Jesus, you know that something new is going on. It means that Jesus is alive
Scripture Reading — Acts 4:1-22They were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.— Acts 4:13When the Jewish religious leaders in our text for today saw two ordinary, unschooled men, Peter and John, speaking courageously and with certainty about the Scriptures, they knew some
Scripture Reading — Acts 3:1-10He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.— Acts 3:8Have you ever been allowed into a place that was off-limits? Think of a young sports player, hired by the team he or she has loved si
Scripture Reading — Acts 2:41-47They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship. . . .— Acts 2:42In our home we have a family picture on the wall above our fireplace. All of the smiling people in it are there because they were born into our family or they married into it.In our t
Scripture Reading — Acts 2:1-41Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd. . . .— Acts 2:14Can God do anything good with me?We might ask this question when we feel as if we are beyond God’s help. We see our flaws and mistakes, and we wonder how God could even want to us
Scripture Reading — John 21:15-19Then [Jesus] said to [Peter], “Follow me!”— John 21:19Peter had made some hurtful mistakes. And our text for today shows how Jesus gently addressed them.Before Jesus was arrested and crucified, Peter had promised never to disown or abandon Jesus. He had even said, “I
Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:16-17If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!— 2 Corinthians 5:17Tomorrow is Sunday, and many Christians throughout the world will attend a worship service at their church. Others may meet in homes or other private plac
Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:16-17If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!— 2 Corinthians 5:17Chip had become an old man, and when he returned to the small town where he had grown up, hardly anyone recognized him.It wasn’t because he looked so diff
Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:16-17If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!— 2 Corinthians 5:17When Jesus came back to life, the people who saw him required new eyes to see him clearly, truly.Mary saw only a gardener until Jesus spoke her name (John
Scripture Reading — John 20:19-23He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”— John 20:22Dead people don’t breathe. And they surely don’t breathe life that flows into others!Just a few days earlier, Jesus had “breathed his last” (Luke 23:46), and everyone around him had assumed that was
