In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he covers a variety of topics. He shares some of the ways that he has suffered for Christ, reviews some of his travel plans and encourages the Church to be bold in their faith and love for Christ through their actions. Paul reminds us that when we...
Acts is generally considered the birth story of the Church. Chapters one through fourteen begin at Jesus’ ascension up into heaven and go through the naming of a new disciple, arrival of the Holy Spirit, persecution, many signs and wonders being done while proclaiming Christ’s name and finishes off with Paul and Barnabas’s tour...
The second half of John covers the life of Jesus from the death of Lazarus until Jesus leaves to ascend. It reminds us of why Jesus came: to glorify God and love others. I found it encouraging that John included Mary’s distress towards Jesus regarding the death of Lazarus. She wept before Jesus and...
The book of John is the last of the four gospels. The first half of John’s gospel begins with the testimony of John the Baptist and Jesus’s baptism. In chapters 1-10, John takes us through the beginning of His ministry up until right before the death of Lazarus. The first half of John’s telling...
As I finished reading Luke, I heard over and over: serve others, serve, serve, serve. Jesus the Son of God came to serve us. He left heaven and came to earth to live as a man to die on a cross to bring us back to God. He came to serve. Jesus is asking...
Luke is the king of overview; it feels like a roller coaster ride through the life of Jesus. His version of the gospel contains a little bit of His life, but for the most part focuses on the ministry of Jesus. Luke emphasized following God’s law, being willing to let go of what we...
Mark continues to tell Jesus’s story from His transfiguration up until He was taken up into Heaven. Mark spent most of his time focusing on Jesus’s ministry and teachings while only spending 2 chapters on his crucifixion, death and resurrection. I was impressed by the fact that during His arrest, trial and death, Jesus...
Mark begins when Jesus is beginning His ministry. Jesus warns the disciples and the remainder of His followers to beware of their desire to follow the traditions and rules that had been put in place by the Pharisees and social pressure from their current culture. How often do we give into society even when...
Jesus continues to serve the world before His crucifixion, by trying to teach them the truth in how God loves them and healing many people. Jesus doesn’t hide who He is from others or ever deny who is. His greatest commandment is to love God with our whole body, mind and soul, with a...
The New Testament opens with the book of Matthew. Matthew is one of the four books that make up the gospels: the story of Christ. Chapters one through fourteen covers the birth of Jesus and the beginning of His ministry. Nothing that Jesus does during the first half of Matthew is to bring glory...
