John 19:17 (ESV) and he went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Aramaic is called Golgotha. Matthew 27:32-34 (ESV) As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. And...
Matthew 27:27-31 (ESV) Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his...
Matthew 27:15-26 (ESV) Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for...
We are accountable for the words we choose to use. As believers who have put off the old self and put on the new self, we have to make a conscious effort to move from using corrupting words to using encouraging words. Although we have lots of words and scriptures to...
Whatever happens, remember God is still working. This week we head to an incredible moment John recorded in John 12:9-16. God’s people had waited for generations for God to send the Messiah. They were overwhelmed when Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem....
Mark 15:1-5 (ESV) And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” And...
Lush Pastures and Darkest Valleys The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He takes me to lush pastures, he leads me to refreshing water. He restores my strength. He leads me down the right paths for the sake of his reputation. Even when I must walk through the...
There’s a tension we may experience between truth and love: telling someone the truth doesn’t always seem loving, and sometimes loving people can feel as though it comes at the expense of telling the truth. It’s easy to embrace one while neglecting the other. Yet,...
Whatever happens, remember how powerful God is. We start the month with friends of Jesus who had lost all hope. John records an incredible moment that we findin John 11:1-45. When Lazarus died, Jesus used the opportunity to point people to God. Jesus was stronger...
Setting Him Before Us I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8 (ESV) W ordle is an internet game where a new word is released every day and you get six attempts to guess it. Silly right? WRONG! My love for...
Most of us are desperate for hope—especially words of hope spoken to us by others. Hearing the right words can completely change our course in difficult or terrible circumstances. And here’s the thing about words of hope; they’re contagious. What if our eyes and...
Make a habit of working together. We wrap up our study on cooperation in Acts 2:42-47. As people began putting their faith in Jesus, several needs started to arise. At the beginning of Acts, Luke offers some insight into how the early church shared what they had and...
With Limits Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here...
Keeping the Savior at the CenterWhen many of us think Easter, egg hunts and chocolate bunnies immediately come to mind. True, many of today’s Easter festivities focus more around the coming of spring than the resurrection of our Savior, but the heart of the holiday...
Words have power. Power to build up or power to destroy. Armed with any other weapon as strong as words, you might be required to be trained and certified. That’s not a bad idea. God’s word is filled with instructions about how to skillfully speak life into others...
Work together to help someone in need. In week three, we head to a story found in Luke 5:17- 26. We discover a paralyzed man who just happened to have some excellent friends. When they heard that Jesus was in town, they tried everything to get their friend to Jesus....
Pies and Plans Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight,...
We live in a world that is more connected than ever before. This is something to be excited about, right? But what if the connection we are experiencing isn't what God intended? What if we've been chasing something that isn't what it seems to be? God offers us...
Work together to help someone succeed. For week two, we look at Exodus 17:8-13, at a time where Joshua is leading the Israelites in a fierce battle against the Amalekites. When Moses held up his staff, the Israelites were winning the battle. When Moses got tired,...
Filled to the Measure And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may...
Some of the secrets God keeps are meant to be revealed but only to His friends. And one secret, in particular, is meant for you and you alone. It’s an individual secret revealed to each overcomer—one who faithfully lives for Jesus. A secret prepared by God. A secret...