child of God – Be Still…

1 John 2:28-3:24 – How We Act

John welcomes us into his community of believers, calling us “dear” on several occasions. As you read the qualifications of being a child of God, are you a 100% onboard, or do you feel like a “work in progress”? Either way, you have chosen to know more about God and draw closer to Jesus. John’s words give us the assurance we need to know how.

If you’ve ever felt like an outcast in this world, you are not alone. It can be lonely when we find our devotion to Jesus creates a wedge between a friend or loved one. Each day is a day closer to forever with Jesus, and I continue to choose Jesus over any of the shiny objects the world offers. Life can be a slippery slope of temptations. Continue reading “1 John 2:28-3:24 – How We Act”

Mark 12:1-17 – More Than a Parable

Read Mark 12:1-17

Jesus loved to use stories, known as parables, in his teaching. While always memorable, the meanings are not always clear. But God allowed these religious leaders to understand the truth about who they represented in the story. I’m guessing that was Jesus’ intent all along, hoping they would not be too blind to recognize themselves. Their exit must have spoken volumes to Jesus. The crowd was likely clueless.

What caution can we take from the story? It may be easy for us to see the relationship between the landowner and God, who sent his son (Jesus) into the world. Jesus paid with his life, too. We don’t want to be like the greedy farmers who disrespect God or his Son. We can look around the world today and see plenty of examples of that. Does it break your heart, too? Continue reading “Mark 12:1-17 – More Than a Parable”

Mark 3:7-35 – What an Inheritance!

Read Mark 3:7-35

What do we learn about Jesus from this passage? His popularity is growing because of all the miraculous healings. Do you ever wonder how word spread so fast? They didn’t have the internet in those days. Jesus continues to try to keep the demons quiet about his true identity, like a superhero not wanting to be discovered.

Jesus has also chosen twelve men to be his closest followers. We’re given only limited details here, but I’m sure these men were clueless at what an honor it was to be called by Jesus for this purpose. An “apostle” is someone specifically chosen by Jesus to be a messenger with a specific mission to share Jesus with the world. Continue reading “Mark 3:7-35 – What an Inheritance!”

John 10:27-28 – His Sheep

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me.” (John 10:27-28)

I don’t often think of myself as a sheep, but when I read and reflect on this verse I want to be one. Well, at least I’d like to be as Jesus describes them. To be totally devoted to Jesus is how I want to live my life, and this verse has some great promises.

Context: In Chapter 10 of John’s gospel, Jesus has identified himself as the “Good Shepherd.” It would have been a very interesting comparison back in those days because shepherds were not revered highly in society. Yet, the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep would have been unique and almost intimate. These verses follow that discussion when the people were pressuring Jesus to confirm he was the Messiah. His response is priceless and worth memorizing. Continue reading “John 10:27-28 – His Sheep”

Galatians 4:4-5 – God’s Child

Read Galatians 4:4-5

God’ Son is Jesus, but we can call ourselves “children” of God according to these words from Paul. Stop for a moment to reflect on what it means to be a child of God. It’s comforting, isn’t it? It sure makes me look at the world a little differently. I’m pretty sure most of the people walking down the street don’t know Jesus like I do and know they can be children of God, too.

This is an interesting passage to use for an Advent reflection, but it speaks to Jesus’ role in the world then and now. It’s a bit of the gospel, Jesus’ birth story, and our future hope all wrapped up together. What jumped out to you in this reading? Continue reading “Galatians 4:4-5 – God’s Child”