February 2016 – Page 4 – 300 words a day

Expectations and Lent

Some of my friends with spiritual interests anticipate Lent with a sense of gratitude. They are thankful for what they learn about themselves through the disciplines of giving up and of moving toward God. They appreciate the invitation to participate with others known as the Body of Christ. I have other friends who argue a […]

by Paul Merrill

Let’s just ask

He asked for healing. Jesus did what he asked. We forget the many accounts of Jesus and his actions in Matthew. (Or maybe you haven’t read them yet.) Go to Matthew 8. Two in a row – first there’s a guy with leprosy. He comes up and says to Jesus that if he’s willing, he […]

by Jon Swanson

Equipping by living.

(This continues posts from the last two days: “Effective equipper“ and “Learning how Jesus taught“) Teaching with words isn’t the only way that Jesus equipped. Jesus lived his teaching. In his last assignment, Jesus talked about “teaching people to obey everything I’ve commanded.” The way you teach people how to obey is, to obey. Jesus […]

by Jon Swanson

Learning how Jesus taught.

(This is a continuation of Effective Equipper) To understand how to live, I sometimes look at how Jesus lived. I understand that there are differences between the first century and this afternoon. I understand, for example, that coffee hadn’t been invented then. But if I want to help people or teach people or learn about […]

by Jon Swanson

Effective equipper.

“What do you want to be true of you in five years?” It’s a question I often ask when I’m teaching groups. I let them know that the question is coming, to allow introverts time to reflect. The group separates into clusters of three or four people to share their answers. And then I have […]