The younger brother that was lost far away has been welcomed home with great rejoicing. A happy ending, right? Unfortunately there is another brother, and he too is lost, but his lostness is worse because he is lost close too home.

How we understand the purpose, or telos, of something impacts the way we interact with it. This is true of food, money, clothes, but also of Salvation. Our understanding of its purpose will set us free to flourish now, or leave us with a diminished version of the life that is available to us.

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The Prodigal Son is one of the most popular parables. Understanding it requires a peek into what is happening in Luke 14, and answering the question, "Why were the tax collectors and sinners drawing near to Jesus?"

Paul finally arrived at Rome, and when he gets there he discovers that the Gospel has preceded him. Then he gets on to doing what he'd always been doing. Announcing the reign of God without hinderance.

On his last stop before arriving at Rome, Paul and his travel buddies are shipwrecked on the island called Malta. There, Paul's journey to Rome is almost disrupted; this time by a poisonous snake, but God is with him through it all.

In ancient Israelite thought, the sea was not just a body of water, it was an force opposed to God. In Acts 27 it shows up again, just as Paul is headed towards Rome. What do we learn from these sea-fairing encounters?

Paul has been in prison for 2 years! His first shot at release is quickly squashed when he discovers that the new ruler is from the tradition of Pontius Pilate. All of this leads us to ask, "What is God doing when we're faced with such injustice?" And, "How do we endure faithfully?"