Monthly Archives: January 2015
Appointed to be with Him
As I was reading the Gospel of Mark’s version of Jesus calling the twelve disciples, Mark’s language had me taking a second look. “And He appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out demons.” Mark 3:14-15 NASB First … Continue reading
We’re Not Meant to Journey Alone
My pastor pointed out in a recent sermon, that Jesus sent his disciples out to preach in pairs. “Calling the twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.” Mark 6:7 He went on to say that we weren’t meant to walk our faith journey alone. I … Continue reading
Never Stop Seeking
I recently read the resurrection account found in John, chapter 20. I’ve read it before, but Mary Magdalene’s part in it really spoke to me this time. First of all, the Bible provides us with very little background on her. Luke 8:2 tells us that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her. We don’t … Continue reading
Believing Versus Following
A recent Pew Research poll found that 78.4% of Americans claim to be Christians. While that number isn’t great, it’s okay, I suppose. The greater question may be, “What exactly does being a Christian entail?” It seems that the most common answer I hear is, “It means believing Jesus is the Son of God.” While … Continue reading
Moving On
As I was recently reading through the Gospel of Mark, I came upon the story of Jesus healing Peter’s (still called Simon a the time), mother-in-law. It’s only a couple of verses without very many details, but the implications jumped out at me. “Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus … Continue reading
A Fresh Look at Sunday
Today is Friday. Most of us jubilantly celebrate Friday. Many of us start looking forward to Friday the minute our alarm clocks sound on Monday, signaling the beginning of our week. We also love Saturdays, often a day of absolutely no expectations on our time, depending of course, on the season of life we are … Continue reading
Do You Want to Get Well?
The Gospels are full of accounts of Jesus healing people. Most often, they sought him out and asked for healing. Sometimes friends or family would seek him out and ask for healing for a sick family member or friend. Jesus usually told them that their faith had healed them. Over and over we find that … Continue reading
A Time to Walk
Last week, here in northeast Georgia, it rained everyday and was miserably cold. Everyone was complaining about the weather. It was definitely dreary. The pattern finally broke just in time for the weekend. Yesterday, it was sunny and 66 degrees. My kids complained about the balmy weather. They go to bed each night saying … Continue reading
A Call to the Busy People
My church is beginning a Bible study this week on the Gospel of Mark. I casually asked my pastor how many chapters I needed to have read before the first meeting. I like to be prepared. My mama raised me that way. He told me with a straight face that it would be good if … Continue reading
Knowing When to Zoom Out
My hubby and I were sitting at the kitchen table on Saturday morning drinking coffee and chatting. I had been watching out the window at a greedy squirrel raid our bird feeder. He would lose his balance from time to time and then the birds would rush in for a few minutes. But, then something … Continue reading