READ: PSALM 34:1-8; JOHN 1:35-51 John 1 is one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. Twice in this single passage, we hear the words, "Come and see." First, the words are spoken by Jesus Himself. John the Baptist is with two of his disciples, and when Jesus passes by, John can't keep the excitement [...]

READ: MATTHEW 5:38-42; MARK 15:33-37; PHILIPPIANS 2:1-11 I was reading about different ways Christians have prayed throughout history, and I came across something that struck me. Christians in the early church used several different poses to pray, and each pose was connected to a different type of prayer: lying face-down on the ground was often [...]

READ: MATTHEW 13:44-45; PHILIPPIANS 3:7-21 The luxury car went first. Then the jeep. Then the convertible was sold too. Neighbors scratched their heads, and whispers started running through the neighborhood. Lawsuits? Debts? Drugs? No one knew. All the designer clothes went next. And the shoes. Instead of high-end heels, she was seen walking around town [...]

READ: JOB 2:11-13; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-7; 1 PETER 1:3-9 Have you ever tried to cheer someone up, only to accidentally make them more upset? I’ve had times when I wanted to help someone who wasn’t doing well mentally or physically, but when I tried to say something, I felt like I only made the situation [...]

READ: ACTS 9:1-31; COLOSSIANS 1:9-14 That person will never change. I just know they won’t. Have you ever had this thought? Sometimes, there are certain people in our lives who seem unchangeable, like they’ve just always been the way they are. They might be angry, mean, or just apathetic. We may long for them to [...]

READ: PSALMS 9:7-10; 33:4-5; MICAH 6:8 He almost made it. My friend Cliff had almost sat all the way down in his desk when the tardy bell rang. But still, our ninth-grade civics teacher counted my friend late, and this carried a punishment: a 1000-word essay due the next day. Like most of us in [...]

READ: 1 CORINTHIANS 3:5-9; 2 PETER 3:9; 1 JOHN 4:19 Have you ever worked behind the scenes in a theater production? Much of the work that goes into making a show great—designing the set, moving set pieces during the performance, timing special effects, running the sound systems, doing cast members’ makeup and hair, etc.—is not [...]

READ: GENESIS 8:22; PSALM 46:1-7; 104:19; HEBREWS 13:5-8 Today is an equinox! On two different days every year, day and night are the same length. All around the world, the day lasts twelve hours and so does the night. We call those days equinoxes. There are two different types of equinoxes: vernal and autumnal—one for [...]

READ: JOHN 1:12; GALATIANS 4:4-7; COLOSSIANS 1:9-14 Imagine you were royalty…and didn’t know it. Here’s the scene: you were kidnapped as a baby. Then, after years and years, your family finds you! But even after they do, you’re not sure how to live like royalty. You’re offered a place to live in the palace, but [...]

READ: MATTHEW 3:1-17; 4:12-17; JOHN 4:13-14; ACTS 3:19-21 I thought this would quench my thirst I’ve felt so empty And this promised to fulfill But something is wrong I’m so caught up I barely hear the whisper “Repent,” You say I stop in my tracks Realize what I’m doing hurts others Hurts You I feel [...]