Some Christians experience opposition to the faith in their own families. Parents, siblings, and even spouses may take devious pleasure in pointing out the flaws of church members or saying hurtful things about the teachings the church stands for. Anyone dealing with this discouragement is in excellent company. Jesus himself initially lacked the support of…

Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the Sychar well. He offers her “living water” (John 4:10), but several things make accepting his offer difficult. She is hindered by racial prejudice, lack of spiritual discernment, an immoral lifestyle, false religious beliefs, and cultural discrimination against women. This familiar story is in John 4, but the chapter…

Absalom’s rebellion forced David to retreat from Jerusalem. The king and his loyal subjects hurriedly crossed the Jordan, arriving hungry and tired at Mahanaim. Wealthy Barzillai and others supplied the weary soldiers with “beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans and lentils, honey and curds and sheep and cheese” (2 Sam.…

The Great Commission of Jesus challenges us to immerse disciples “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). In the great Pentecost sermon, though, Peter mentions only the Son. “Repent,” the apostle urges, “and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ…

A siege of ancient Samaria caused a terrible famine. The Arameans had surrounded the city for so long that its inhabitants were paying outrageous prices for despicable food. A donkey’s head cost 80 shekels of silver. Some mothers resorted to cannibalism, boiling and eating their own children. The horror ended when the Lord made the…

Before his ascension into heaven, Jesus entrusted his disciples with the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all…

What is the essence of manhood? Is it physical power, the strength to lift heavy weights or wrestle bullies to the ground? Is manhood emotional reserve, the repression of tears when bitter losses come? Is it sexual potency, the ability to father children? Moses says that “God created man in his own image” (Gen. 1:27).…

One evening about 10 years ago, I was listening to “Marketplace” (a financial-news program on National Public Radio). Kai Ryssdal, the show’s host, was discussing the nation’s economic woes—the weak dollar, steep oil prices, the housing slump, and so forth. Into his conversation with the audience, Ryssdal casually interjected a shocking insult. He said, “If…

Why do bad things happen to good people? Wrestling with this painful question is nothing to feel guilty about. When Jesus leaves the splendor of heaven, he knows exactly what his mission will be. He is to walk as a man among men, resist all human weaknesses and temptations, and finally die a bitter death…

The temple police were arresting Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Peter drew his sword to defend him. He “struck the high priest’s slave and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus” (John 18:10). Concerning this incident Luke recorded a detail easy to overlook. When the apostles witnessed the treacherous Judas kiss…