Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 If 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 b
Scripture Reading — 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 If 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 Je
Scripture Reading — John 20:19-23 He 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 h
Scripture Reading — Luke 24:13-35 Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.— Luke 24:31I often wish I could see better.I wish I could see Jesus face-to-face.I wish I could see God’s will for a decision I have to make.I wish I cou
Scripture Reading — Isaiah 35:1-10; John 20:11-18 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”— John 20:15In Isaiah 35 God gives his people a vision of a fully restored creation. His glory will appear, and a desert will turn into a lush, blossoming
Scripture Reading — Luke 24:1-8, 36-48 “He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you. . . .”— Luke 24:6I remember walking up to the Grand Canyon in Arizona for the very first time. I thought I knew what to expect since I had heard so much about the Grand Canyon. But
Scripture Reading — Luke 23:50-56 There was a man named Joseph . . . and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.— Luke 23:50-51There seems to be a lot of waiting in Scripture. Abraham and Sarah waited for a promised child (Genesis 12-18).The Israelites waited for many y
Scripture Reading — Luke 23:44-49 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining.— Luke 23:44-45What do you think of when you hear the word “darkness”?Children often think of darkness as scary, and when th
Scripture Reading — Mark 14:12-26 “Take it; this is my body.” . . . and . . . “This is my blood of the covenant . . . poured out for many.”— Mark 14:22-24The Jews of Jesus’ day often told stories from their history. And every year at this time they told the ancient story that
Scripture Reading — John 3:1-21 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”— John 3:3In today’s text Jesus’ words baffled and amazed Nicodemus the Pharisee:• To experience fully what God is doing, you must be born again
Scripture Reading — Matthew 21:18-27 “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”— Matthew 21:22God shows his faithfulness by responding to the prayers of his people.In our reading today, a fig tree that does not bear fruit receives judgment from Jesus. T
Scripture Reading — Matthew 21:12-17 Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there.— Matthew 21:12Jesus entered Jerusalem and was cheered as a king—but not for long.In the next scene, Jesus went to the temple courts in Jerusalem. And as he