IMPATIENT WITH HIS AGENDA April 10, 2020 | Matthew 11:1–19 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue I remember the first time I saw my mother cry. She told me that she had bumped her head. But I suspect there was a deeper reason. Whatever the cause, her tears disturbed me. We are not used to thinking of […]
A CAUSE FOR OPPOSITION April 9, 2020 | Matthew 10:34–42 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Someone once called Jesus the greatest marketing genius of all time. Today’s passage shatters this false image. If He hoped to market His message to His contemporaries, He was surely the worst marketer of all time. Do not suppose that I […]
A PECULIAR MISSION April 8, 2020 | Matthew 10:1–20 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Billy Graham was famous for his large evangelistic meetings. He followed in the steps of other evangelists, such as George Whitefield and D. L. Moody. Graham was a pioneer in evangelism by radio and television. His aim was to invite all people […]
HIS SURPRISING COMPANIONS April 7, 2020 | Matthew 9:1–13 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue In a popular song from the 1960s artist Dobie Gray sang, “I’m in with the in- crowd.” According to the song, “You ain’t nowhere until you’ve been in.” One of the obstacles Jesus faced was a result of the company He kept. […]
SURPRISED BY HIS POWER April 6, 2020 | Matthew 8:23–34 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue What makes you fearful? Spiders? Lightning storms? The dark? Fear can stop us in our tracks and make our heart beat faster. But not all fear is bad. The Bible describes a different type of fear, one that implies an attitude […]
AMAZED BY HIS TEACHING April 5, 2020 | Matthew 7:24–29 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue A popular website allows students to rate their college professors. The evaluations rate the professor by overall quality and level of difficulty. Students can also include comments about their experience. How would Jesus have scored on such a site? According to […]
AN UNLIKELY CHOICE April 4, 2020 | Matthew 4 DEVOTIONS This month’s issue In her book Team of Rivals, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin described how Abraham Lincoln chose an unlikely group of leaders to serve as his cabinet. Instead of surrounding himself with friends, he chose opponents and competitors. “[That] was evidence of a profound […]
Friday, 3/4/20 “THE MIGHTY OUTCRY” SCRIPTURE READING: Hebrews 5:7-8 EXPOSITION: The above scripture reveals our Lord Jesus Christ pouring His heart out in prayer during a very critical time of His life on earth. It was very intense, personal and real. He was in great need and had to cry unto the Father. In agony, […]
UNEXPECTED GUESTS April 2, 2020 | Matthew 2 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Even though I grew up in an unchurched home, our family had a small nativity scene that we put on display each Christmas. I was fascinated by the story of Christ’s birth and especially intrigued by the Magi. I spent hours under our […]
A SURPRISING ARRIVAL April 1, 2020 | Matthew 1 DEVOTIONS This Month’s Issue Surprises can be paralyzing . . . or at least for 1/20th of a second. That’s what Tania Luna, a researcher who studies how surprise affects the brain, says. She says surprises can freeze our attention and intensify our emotions. She will […]