The Church’s mission began (according to John 20) with three things which have become very familiar to us in recent days. It began with tears; with locked doors; and with doubt. On the first Easter day, Mary Magdalene was weeping in the garden outside Jesus’ empty tomb (John 20:1-18). To her astonishment, Jesus met her,…
The Books of the Bible: Luke – Acts
LUKE We have reunited the two volumes of Luke–Acts and placed them first because they provide an overview of the New Testament period. Luke wrote this two-volume history to serve several important purposes: He wanted to assure followers of Jesus that what they’d been taught about him was trustworthy. Luke documents how God kept the…
Jesus and Women: The Ezer-Warriors
Nothing reveals Jesus’ manhood like His countercultural relationships with women. Women weren’t simply beneficiaries of His miracles and teaching, although that alone would be enough to change how men regard women today. The women Jesus knew were active facilitators and strong, indispensable allies in His mission. Most notably, His own mother was the first to…
The Rings of the Lord
Jesus had an inner circle. The Bible offers plenty of examples. As a matter of fact, He had several circles or rings of relationship around Him. When the mother of James and John asked Jesus to allow her sons to enter one of those rings, He did not deny her request. However, He did ask them an important question:…
Go and Make Disciples
So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit — Matthew 28:19–20 (NCV) His Commanding Presence That day up there on the mountain, Jesus assured them of His remarkable power when He said, “All authority in heaven and on…
Go Make Disciples
You are awesome, O God, in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God! — Psalm 68:35 (NIV) Finding refuge is not a concept most of us relate to in the physical sense. We have our comfortable homes and vehicles and the freedom to come and go…