Whatever else it might be, Paul’s letter to the Ephesians is filled with fundamentally rich and glorious truths about the church that should transform the way we think about the community God has created through Jesus. Written to a first-century congregation comprised of people from starkly different backgrounds (Jewish and Gentile), the topic of community would be an area where theyContinue reading “God At Work”
Author Archives: A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green
Known but to God
Maude Brown writes that in the spring of 1862, when Confederate General Albert Sydney Johnson led his forces out of Corinth, Mississippi, and into Tennessee to launch a sneak attack on Grant’s forces at Shiloh, he had 500 coffins made. The good general was unduly optimistic in regard to the number of casualties his ArmyContinue reading “Known but to God”
Grace and Discipleship
Luke tells us that “crowds were traveling with Jesus” (14:26), and that’s precisely the problem. Everyone has gotten on the Jesus bandwagon but few, if any, have any understanding of what it means to be a follower of His. Jesus remedies this with a hard hitting discussion on discipleship. Three times He uses the phraseContinue reading “Grace and Discipleship”
Grateful Hearts Make Us Whole
When Jesus was traveling along the border of Samaria and Galilee, He went into one of the villages. On His way in, He came across ten lepers. It wasn’t uncommon for such groups to station themselves outside of towns and villages so they could petition passersby for help. They were somehow aware of who JesusContinue reading “Grateful Hearts Make Us Whole”
After Dinner Conversation
When you’ve eaten well and are among friends, the conversation can flow like a river. It might be light-hearted or substantive, but it is always special. In Luke 22:24-32, Jesus had an after dinner conversation with His disciples that continues to speak to us today. In that conversation: Jesus taught about true greatness. As He institutedContinue reading “After Dinner Conversation”
Of Hope and Healing
When we think about our military personnel in combat situations (wherever that might be), we know they’re in tough circumstances. War makes for that. More than a century and half ago, our country knew not just war—but an internal one, which at times, pitted neighbor against neighbor. There are even records of families that had members fightingContinue reading “Of Hope and Healing”
Discipled Lives
Santiago is an elderly fisherman who hasn’t caught anything in almost three months in Hemingway’s classic, The Old Man and the Sea. Things are so bad that Manolin, his young apprentice, has been forbidden by his parents from fishing with him. They want him to go out with the more successful fisherman. It’s a dejected and desperate manContinue reading “Discipled Lives”
The Thrill of Hope
I came across this clip years ago on YouTube. The video quality is not the best, but the two people in the video more than make up for that. You can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDgSQiUcVnM Go ahead and watch it; I’ll wait. Part of what makes this video so special has to do with theContinue reading “The Thrill of Hope”
Where Thieves Break In and Steal
The morning of the day Janice and I were leaving to visit our son and his family in Arkansas, our credit card company texted me saying that our card had been compromised. That’s never good news to hear but especially on a travel day. Still, we had a back-up (debit) card, so off we went.Continue reading “Where Thieves Break In and Steal”
It Just Might Make A Difference
It was pick-up basketball as it was meant to be played. We were dressed in scraggly shorts and shirts that Goodwill wouldn’t want anything to do with. And our play was as ragged as our clothes. But we were having a good time, getting a workout, and blowing off some steam. Craig was one ofContinue reading “It Just Might Make A Difference”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 