Where do you receive your life force from? What Jesus taught went against the norms. Jesus was a rule breaker but only when the rules harmed others. Jesus teaches us that there is always room to grow, change and learn from one another. In order for growth to happen, not
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Acts 2:1-4 • Pentecost 1 Corinthians 12:1-13 • Gifts of the Spirit On Pentecost Sunday, which is considered the birth of Christianity, we hear the story of the manifestation of the Spirit in humanity. The Spirit of God has power and as it descended on the people, the Holy Spirit
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Scripture: John 17:6-19 • “May my joy be made complete in them.” What does it mean to be in right relationship with God? What does it mean to be in right relationship with others? How do we truly come to know one another and learn about how God is at
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Paul’s letter to the community of faith in Corinth addresses a number of difficult questions about how they are to live and worship together. How should they understand and value spiritual gifts like healing and ecstatic speech, both among themselves and in relationships beyond their immediate community? How should they
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Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, is writing to both affirm and challenge how they are living out their faith in the world. As an apostle, Paul feels it is his role to inspire communities to live according to Jesus’ teaching. Paul uses this letter to address some of
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Today’s scripture passage is one of the very earliest remaining pieces of writing to a community of followers of Jesus. As was his practice, the Apostle Paul has come into the important trade city of Thessalonica and begun talking about Jesus to whoever would listen. As often happened, the “insiders,”
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Acts 3:1-10 Healing at the Beautiful Gate It is not often someone will say to a complete stranger, “What I have, this I give to you.” What was offered in this moment? Was it charity? Was it healing? Was it pity? Was it compassion? Was it a miraculous healing? Or
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Acts 1:1-14 You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem After Jesus’ resurrection the disciples and those who followed Jesus have now been given the task of witnessing to what Jesus did, who Jesus was, and what Jesus has meant to each and everyone of us. In this passage people of
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There is good evidence that the Gospel of Mark ends abruptly, not with a resurrected Jesus having consoled his followers, but with fear-filled silence. The fact that we even know the story, reminds us that, at some point, the three women who were the first witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection somehow
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Mark 11:1-11 • Triumphal entry While the Roman Army entered the city of Jerusalem, Jesus approached the city by another way. Jesus approached the city as a leader filled with grace. Jesus’s ministry was one of mutual sharing of power. Jesus’ leadership was not about self-interest but rather the communities
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