Have you ever, in a moment of pain, frustration or anger, said something you later regretted? Have you ever mashed your thumb with a hammer and almost reflexively a swear word came flying out? Our mastery (or lack of mastery) over our tongues at such times is very revealing. The missionary Amy Carmichael once said, […]

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Way back in August we spent some time studying the fifth chapter of John’s Gospel in which Jesus was quoted as saying to the Jewish religious leaders, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me…” And after the resurrection when […]

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Pontius Pilate hailed from a minor aristocratic family in the region of Samnia in what is now Italy. He served as Governor of Judea during the reign of the Emperor Tiberius. History does not tell us how Pilate rose to this position or what became of him later in life, but it seems most likely […]

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In the last four chapters of John that we have studied (chapters 13-16), Jesus has been talking to the disciples about the Father, but now in chapter 17 he switches gears and talks instead to the Father about the disciples. Both activities are critically important. As Christians, we should follow Jesus’ example in talking often […]

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Chapter 16 of John’s Gospel account marks the last discourse between Jesus and His disciples before going to the cross, and it begins and ends with words of explanation from Jesus. “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.” (verse 1) and “I have said these things to you, […]

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If you get a chance before you listen to this message, read the fifteenth chapter of John. That’s the portion of scripture that we will be studying together. If your preferred version of the Bible is the King James, ESV or NASB count the number of times the word “abide” occurs as you read. If […]

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This Sunday fell on Saint Valentine’s Day. According to church history, Valentine was a Christian priest, or possibly a Bishop, living in Rome who was martyred on February 14th in 269 AD during the reign of Claudius II for the crime of marrying Christian couples against the orders of Caesar. In time, he would be […]

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As I was reading my way through chapter 14 this week I was brought up short by something Jesus said. In verse 12, Jesus explains to His disciples, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do, because […]

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Back in 2011, for our tenth anniversary Sarah and I talked her Mom into watching the kids for a week and we made reservations at The Clement Hotel in Monterey, California. We had originally planned to do something really, super-duper splashy for our tenth but then reality and certain pesky things like budgets, car repairs […]

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In the book of 1 Peter the Apostle Peter writes to his fellow believers scattered abroad and encourages them, among other things, not to fear those who would seek to harm them because of their association with Christ. “Have no fear of them, nor be troubled…,” he writes. Then he continues, “but in your hearts […]

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