John 6:56-69 Jonathan Edwards, the eighteenth-century theologian and preacher, stated: "Resolved: To follow Christ with all my heart. Resolved also: Whether others do or not, I will." Here was a man who knew Christ, loved Christ, and was willing to follow Christ wherever he led

John 6:51-58 The most controversial subject one can engage another in is not politics, not AIDS, not the death penalty, and not the type of music preformed in worship. The most controversial discussion centers on Jesus. If you don't believe me try this experiment the next time you ar

John 6:35, 41-51 Common folk enjoyed being with Jesus. The Almighty didn't act high and mighty. The One who owns it all never strutted his stuff. People were irresistibly drawn to him. People liked him. People followed him. Their desire to follow him was aroused from more than his de

John 15:9-17 We who claim to have joy often look as if we have been weaned on dill pickles. The "joy, joy, joy, joy way down in the depths of our hearts" has long departed and in its place is some sort of ugliness that emerges like a bad taste in our mouths. What once was a fac

Acts 8:26-40 One man who impacted his nation for Christ is more often associated with green beer and leprechauns than the proclamation of the gospel - Patrick of Ireland. Kidnapped by pirates as a teenager, Patrick was taken from his well-to-do home in Roman-Britain in A.D. 405, transpor

John 10:11-18   Jesus often spoke in rural images that communicated visually to the people he addressed. Even though we are not as acquainted to those images today, they still can say a great deal to us today, even in our modern, urban, industrialized world. One such image that Jesus

Joshua 3:1-17 Transitional moments come with growing up: the changes from childhood to adolescence, adolescence to adulthood. At other times these transitions are artificial. The ages of 16, 40, and 65 have significant implications. Transitional moments can be forced upon people - divorce, relocation, early...

1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 In many respects an elevator filled with people is a microcosm of our world today: a large, impersonal institution where anonymity, isolation, and independence are the uniform of the day. It shows us that people can be surrounded by other people in a crowded setting, and not experience...

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 An experienced hiker will set trail markers to insure his or safe return from the wilderness. Often these markers are stones stacked as a visible directional reference. The apostle Paul had as his trail marker in the Christian life three words, his favorite...