faith – Page 2 – 300 words a day

who else is there?

What makes you stay? When you are part of a group and public opinion shifts, what makes you stay? How much attention do you pay to the way people are talking? If lots of people are talking positively about your group, does that make you feel more attached? If lots of people start to raise […]

by Jon Swanson

sometimes faith means walking away

Jesus told a man that his son would be healed. The man took Jesus at his word and headed home. Perhaps the man was good at taking direction because he worked for the king. That was certainly true for another healing situation. A centurion (military commander of 100 soldiers) wanted a servant healed. Jesus offered […]

by Jon Swanson

someday you will understand

Much happens in our lives that we don’t understand right away. We have conversations, we watch things happen, we see things in the moment. We think we understand. A person is cranky. We think they are mad at us. Or that they just have issues. A person moves slowly. We think they are lazy. Or […]

by Jon Swanson

A challenging passage

Jesus wants breakfast. The fig tree is covered in leaves but there are no figs. He tells it that it will never bear fruit. It dies immediately. The disciples are amazed at the power Jesus displays. He says that they can do it. He ends by saying “If you believe, you will receive whatever you […]

by Jon Swanson

grinding them down

Jesus was concerned about little children. He said that the road to greatness in the kingdom of heaven ran closer to the playground than the temple courts. And then, after telling the disciples to learn from children, Jesus got graphic: “If anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,” Jesus […]