When Pastor Sean encouraged us this past weekend to see the Christmas story without all the trappings we usually associate with the holiday, I was reminded of a book I read several years ago titled The Real Mary by Scot McKnight. In chapter after chapter McKnight takes a fresh look at this extraordinary woman, debunking […]
Archive | The Story
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 21
Many years ago a friend and I were talking about the book of Nehemiah, and he said the most significant verse from the entire book for him was when Nehemiah told his enemy Sanballat, “I’m doing a great work and I can’t come down!” This, of course, is a paraphrase from Nehemiah 6:3, but I […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 20
The book of Esther has all the right stuff to be a best seller: a beautiful protagonist, a strong hero, a vile villain, and enough plot twists to keep us turning the pages! It’s no wonder the Jewish people read the story every year at the celebration of Purim, is it? God’s faithful and timely […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 19
The book of Haggai is a short two chapters – but wow! It’s like discovering a gold mine! As the remnant of Jews return from exile in Babylon to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, Haggai (“the Lord’s messenger”) is coach, quarterback and cheerleader rolled into one voice – God’s prophetic voice. He brings challenge, encouragement […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 18
As I was drifting off to sleep last night, it occurred to me that Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego might just be called the “A Team” of the Old Testament. Unlike Jesus’ disciples, Peter and John, who were called “unschooled, ordinary men” (Acts 4:13), these four were the cream of the crop, the best of […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 17
What makes us so stubborn, I wonder? Stubborn to the point that we can’t see how pathetically sinful we are? In The Story this week, God is fed up with the mocking and scoffing that’s heaped on his messengers and the atrocious behavior of his people, and he sends Babylon against the Southern Kingdom, Judah. […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 16
Who is the “prophet” in your life? Reading the history of the kings of Israel these last few weeks has reminded me of the importance of those who speak truth to us on behalf of God. King David had Nathan, a prophet whose courage in speaking the truth caused David to repent and turn wholeheartedly […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 15
Had any phone calls from God lately?? I still can’t figure out how Pastor Greg got his phone to ring at just the right moment in his sermon this past Sunday, but the guess that makes the most sense is his wife called him (since she’s in the praise ensemble and could have triggered the […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 14
Conflict is a huge part of life, don’t you think? Resolving conflict is probably one of the hardest tasks ever! Hurt feelings, power struggles, and misunderstandings often fester into resentment and bitterness if left unchecked. In the case of Rehoboam and Jeroboam, the kingdom of Israel is torn in two. Their story is far from […]
Jane’s Blog – The Story, Chapter 13
My friend Dave Sitler, who is an orthopedic surgeon, told a group of us on Sunday about one of the practices he uses to follow a broken bone he has set in a cast. Since his story fit right in with the frog story Pastor Sean told us, I thought it worth thinking about a […]