Scripture Reading — Romans 16:1-16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.— Romans 16:1“Don’t call it ‘just a list.’” That was the advice of preaching professor Fred Craddock as he spoke about Romans 16. This collection of Paul’s friends, with
Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10 Timothy has . . . brought good news about your faith and love.— 1 Thessalonians 3:6Paul was overjoyed! He had sent his disciple, Timothy, back to the city of Thessalonica to check on the church they had recently planted there. And Tim
Scripture Reading — Acts 16:11-15 The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.— Acts 16:14I would love to have been there, watching Lydia turn into a new creation. As our story begins, she has no idea who Jesus is. She worships and prays to God, but she doesn’t know
Scripture Reading — Acts 16:1-5 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived. . . .— Acts 16:1In the United States, where I live, it is common for people to have parents and grandparents from different countries or ethnic backgrounds. A neighbor
Scripture Reading — Acts 13:1-3 The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”— Acts 13:2When we see orange barrels on the roadway, that’s usually a sign of work going on.If we see a bag of flour, eggs, and measuring cups o
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 st
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
Scripture Reading — Acts 4:32-37 Joseph . . . 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 me
Scripture Reading — Acts 4:1-22 They 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 Sc
Scripture Reading — Acts 3:1-10 He 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 tea
Scripture Reading — Acts 2:41-47 They 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
Scripture Reading — Acts 2:1-41 Peter 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 G