“For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” —Malachi 3:7 The writer to the Hebrews says that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. But one could also say that we are surrounded by a great cloud of changes. While many crave consistency, we...

One of the most common questions that I hear is, “What can the congregation, district and Synod do to recruit more church workers?” Recently, I had a layperson ask me the question, but the thrust was wondering what she could do personally. I had to pause for a second and...

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.” —1 Corinthians 15:3-4 It occurred to me recently that I had spent an hour...

Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth…we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel....

“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 In His encounter with Zacchaeus, Jesus defines His purpose in coming to the earth. His was a mission, given to Him by His Father, to search after and find those who were lost as He had...

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” —Isaiah 12:2 In chapter 12, Isaiah quotes the Song of Moses and Miriam. It was a song about a Cinderella story, an underdog, the most...

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. —1 John 1:8-9 Our lives are lived in a most uncertain world. We grow accustomed...

In these days he went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. —Luke 6:12 After Jesus healed a lame man on the Sabbath, the reaction of the Pharisees and scribes, writing, “they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what...

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” —John 1:29   Instant replay in sports enables officials, commentators and fans to see the plays from every conceivable angle. In some cases, God’s Word affords us similar concepts....

And [Jesus] said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. —Luke 9:23 In the eyes of the world, the season of Lent is a downer. All of this talk about sin, repentance and even death are deemed offensive by many of...