Mary’s trip to see her relative, Elizabeth, is one of those episodes that’s unique to Luke’s gospel. In this early section of his gospel, Luke is showing Theophilus how God broke into the world to set up the kingdom of Jesus. Rather than tapping into existing power structures like the Roman Empire or the Jewish aristocracy,Continue reading “Mary Takes a Trip”
Tag Archives: Bible study
Scattered
The word “scattered” is used only four times in the book of Acts, but its significance is much greater than that number would suggest. By the time Luke wrote his gospel, “scattered” had a well-established meaning. It went back to the days of Babel when the people rebelled against God’s purpose for them to spreadContinue reading “Scattered”
It Seemed Good to Me
When Luke was writing the introduction to his gospel, he noted two groups of people: The first group would be the apostles, and the other would be a second generation of disciples who came after them. Luke would be part of that group. So, he began his treatise to Theophilus by acknowledging the original communicatorsContinue reading “It Seemed Good to Me”
Meditating on God’s Word
One of my favorite borrowed sayings goes something like this: “Our goal isn’t to get through the Scripture as much as it is for the Scripture to get through us.” I like that because I know from personal experience how easy it is to get distracted as you work your way through Scripture. You’re busyContinue reading “Meditating on God’s Word”
After Dinner Conversation
Did you know that all foods share at least one common ingredient? No matter what kind of food you’re eating, it contains a social ingredient which means it always tastes better in the company of others. Food is something God gave us not just to nourish our bodies, but to nourish our relationships. Get people together toContinue reading “After Dinner Conversation”
Proclaiming with Power and Authority (1)
In terms of development, Luke favors geography more than chronology (Krol). After alternating between the early lives of John and Jesus in the first three chapters, he takes us to Galilee (4-9), Samaria (10-19), and Jerusalem (20-24) in telling us the story of Jesus. Chronology isn’t ignored (see 7:21, 9:51), but neither does he strictlyContinue reading “Proclaiming with Power and Authority (1)”
Proclaiming with Power and Authority (2)
In living for Christ then disciples are proclaiming the reign of God as well as providing proof of such. By “living for Christ,” I don’t mean disciples are to be good people doing nice things—there are plenty of people doing that who (sadly) don’t belong to Jesus. By living for Christ I mean that ratherContinue reading “Proclaiming with Power and Authority (2)”
When You’re Feeling a Little Lost
“Lost” is a little word with enormous meaning. We use it spiritually, relationally, materially, athletically, financially, and in just about every other way you can imagine. In its ultimate sense, lost means to be estranged from God and the life He desires for us, but it’s quite possible to be in relationship with God andContinue reading “When You’re Feeling a Little Lost”
Through the Bible in 1 Year
The idea here is simple—I want to write through the Scripture in a year! Our congregation is using the E-100 Bible reading schedule in 2024. It consists of 100 readings from Genesis through Revelation. The idea is that going through these readings will give you the big, overarching story of Scripture. So that’s what IContinue reading “Through the Bible in 1 Year”
Revolution
You say you want a Revolution, Well, you know, We all wanna change the world. You tell me that it’s evolution, Well, you know, We all wanna change the world. John Lennon sang these words in 1968 in the Beatles’ classic, Revolution. Our country (and much of the world) was going through turbulent times—not a lot different than today in manyContinue reading “Revolution”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 