“Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Jesus was nothing if not a realist when it came to the kind of reception His followers should expect when they set out to advance the kingdom by proclaiming the Gospel to the unbelieving world. He made this abundantly clear: We should expect trouble. In these couple of verses He makes clear we should expect three different kinds of persecution. Read the rest…
“And Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.’ And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.'” (ESV – Read the chapter)
Following Jesus can be an adventurous affair. Things had disintegrated under Saul to the extent that he was actively eliminating potential threats to his rule. This is a mark of a truly insecure ruler. Samuel wasn’t someone who could travel freely in Israel. His profile was high enough that when he went somewhere, everyone—including Saul—figured it meant something. If he did anything significant—like, say, anointing someone else to be king—word was likely to get back to Saul who would likely deal with both the threat and its source with ruthless efficiency. Read the rest…
In this final part of our series, Hard Sayings, we are faced with the ultimate reality: Following Jesus is worth everything. After blowing the disciples’ minds, Jesus makes this point rather graphically for them. Keep reading to see how and stay tuned for our next teaching series, Grace in Hard Times, as we walk through the book of Job.
It’s Worth It
Have you ever experienced the disorienting phenomenon known as sticker shock? Let’s say you’re walking through a department store and there you see it: the dress. What you might possibly need the dress for is entirely beside the point. What your husband might say about you buying the dress doesn’t even factor into the decision-making process. You must have this dress. Somehow you know that it will fit perfectly so you don’t even bother trying it on. You take it up to the counter, gently lay it on the counter, and smile at the cashier. Then it comes. The cashier scans the barcode, punches a couple of buttons on the register, and says, “That’ll be…” Well, I’m not sure what your price-point is, but whatever it is, this dress is beyond that…well beyond that. And it hits you: Sticker shock. It may be the dress, but…that price. Ouch. Read the rest…
This week we got back on track with our series, Hard Sayings. One of the things Jesus made fairly abundantly clear over the course of His ministry is that following Him isn’t something to which we can get by with giving merely a cheap lip-service. The hard saying we examined together yesterday morning makes this even clearer than most. Too often we rely on serving Jesus to cover up for not knowing Him well. That won’t cut it. Keep reading to see why.
Knowing Jesus
Think back with me for a minute to your bedroom growing up. What kind of stuff did you have in it? Specifically, whose poster did you have on your wall? Was it an actor? A musician? A sports star? Who was it? How much did you know about this person? Were you a casual fan or a full-blown disciple in the model of the Beliebers? It is not at all uncommon for young people to have someone they idolize. A lot of young, aspiring basketball players today want to be the next Steph Curry. Baseball players look up to Aaron Judge—literally, since he’s a giant. Singers want to be the next Arianna Grande or Miranda Lambert or Taylor Swift. Read the rest…
“But the people of Israel broke faith in regard to the devoted things, for Achan the son of Carmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of the devoted things. And the anger of the Lord burned against the people of Israel.” (ESV – Read the chapter)
The story of Achan is an interesting and sad one. The people were coming off a major victory. Their first stop on their tour through the land of Canaan had ended with them sacking a significant military outpost in the city of Jericho. The city was famous for its incredibly high and thick walls. The walls were so massive that archaeologists today can see in the various layers of rubble around the city where this battle took place. So, the people are high on a sweet victory, but then things take a turn for the sour. What happened? Read the rest…
The Nexus 