How Bad Is It?
Read: Romans 3:1-20 No one does good, not even one. (v. 12) I needed a dentist. I knew I had problems, but not how bad my situation was. Dental visits can feel for me like an audit of my oral hygiene habits. Despite having access to toothbrushes and floss, I have not made good use […]
The Heart of the Matter
Read: Romans 2:12-29 Circumcision is a matter of the heart . . . (v. 29) Many people bear physical symbols of their ethnic/religious traditions. South Sudanese Dinka scar the heads of young boys. Ethiopian Mursi women use small plates to stretch holes in their earlobes and lips. Hindus place a red ink spot (a bindi) […]
No Excuses
Read: Romans 2:1-22 Therefore you have no excuse . . . (v. 1) One of the good manners my kindergarten teacher taught was to never point a finger at another. “When you do,” she said, “three of your own fingers point back at you.” When the more religious readers of Paul’s letter saw the list […]
Never Enough
Read: Romans 1:18-31 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie. (v. 25) How did we become experts at sin? Paul described the path sin takes once we start down its journey. First, though, the majesty of creation is meant to reveal God’s glory to us (v. 20). We were created in God’s image, […]
Not Ashamed
Read: Romans 1:1-17 I am eager to preach the gospel to you also. (v. 15) I can still see the joyful smiles of the men’s choir from Teen Challenge, a ministry to young people in difficult life situations. They radiated our sanctuary with white-hot faith once each year, sharing testimonies and singing at the top […]
Give God No Rest
Read: Luke 11: 5-12 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (v. 9) “Friend, lend me three loaves . . .” From within the house an irritated voice calls out, “Go away!” But the neighbor won’t go […]
Life for All
Read: Acts 11:1-18 Who was I that I could stand in God’s way? (v. 17) Peter had some explaining to do. When he returned home with news of having baptized Gentiles into the church, some in the church were dismayed. They were Jewish people, after all, and Christianity was the fulfillment of the Jewish faith. […]
Made Clean
Read: Acts 10:9-33 What God has made clean, do not call common. (v. 15) Today we join Peter in prayer on a rooftop in the city. It had been a weary day of travel, and Peter was hungry and tired. I have sometimes wondered if it was his hunger that caused Peter to see a […]
Something like Scales
Read: Acts 9:1-19 Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized. (v. 18) Saul was a main persecutor of the church. He supervised Stephen’s death and made it his personal mission to kill as many Christians as possible. Saul’s extreme zeal was met with […]