“When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said ‘Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.’ Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, ‘Surely it is not I, Lord?’” Mt 26:20-22 Have you ever been shocked by something you did? It often happens when our emotions are running high. We yell at someone we love. We insult a person we respect.... Read more

Simon Peter said to him, ‘Master, where are you going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, though you will follow later.’” Jn 13:36 Could you simplify your job description down to two words? In Jesus’ time learning to follow the way of God was caught as much as it was taught. Disciples would be invited to follow a rabbi (Jewish teacher) and would learn through emulation. You ate like your rabbi, slept like your... Read more

“I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.” Is 42:6-7 Have you ever had someone who believed in you more than you believed in yourself? I can honestly say that in... Read more

“Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut from the fields. Those preceding him as well as those following kept crying out: ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is to come! Hosanna in the highest!'” Mark 11:8-10 Do you like stories with surprise endings? I love it when an author manages to tie a complex web... Read more

“I will make with them a covenant of peace; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will multiply them, and put my sanctuary among them forever.” Ez 37:26 What’s the largest project you’ve ever been a part of? Some projects can last for months, years, or even decades. The larger the project the more important it is for the people involved to understand the big picture. It is easy to lose the plot in the midst of the... Read more

“In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried out to my God; from his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.” Ps 18:7 How big is your ideal house? When my wife and I were looking for a home we visited properties all around Ypsilanti. We had a few things we were looking for. I wanted to be close enough to my job that I could ride my bike, a nice-sized backyard for our... Read more

“Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.” Lk 1:38 What’s the biggest surprise that’s happened in your life in the last 10 years? Life is filled with unexpected twists and turns. There’s a common saying that God writes straight with crooked lines. It’s been true in my life. I’ve often felt God has thrown wrenches in my plans. At the time... Read more

Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him, ‘If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’” Jn 8:31-32 Have you ever moved into a new community? When I was in eighth grade my class took a trip to visit Washington D.C. We arrived in a big tour bus which drove us around to all the important sites and museums. We stayed in a... Read more

“So Jesus said to them, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one who sent me is with me.’” Jn 8:28-29 Do you remember the game Simon Says? I have four young boys, and it’s a game we play a lot. I like it because it forces my kids to practice being attentive and... Read more

“But when they continue asking him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’” Jn 8:7 Have you ever been too quick to judge someone? Life is filled with difficult decisions. There are times when knowing what is right isn’t simple.  Jesus’ enemies believed that they could discredit him by putting him in situations like this and would often lure him into seemly impossible situations. Today’s... Read more