15: 5-8 “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make…
Tag: Scripture
Are you blocking you?
John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Ever think you could be blocking you? Right. Me, neither! The above verse tends to be a crowd favorite. Who doesn’t want to slap that verse on a coffee mug and sing a praise song? But the reality underneath–one that…
Locking Eyes with Grace
John 8 recounts a time when Jesus was interrupted by a group of Pharisees as he taught in the temple. They had a woman who was caught in the act of adultery, and according to the law of Moses, she should be stoned to death. Also, according to this law, they needed two witnesses (v….
What else happens…..
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 So I spent a year imagining how the garden in the front yard of our new house could be transformed. Hedges, bushes, and small trees were overgrown with all sorts of…
God’s “OK” and ours
God’s OK and ours is not the same. When I reach out for peace, I cry out to God for some type of homeostasis–LORD, take me back to the way things were. Before, you know. Everything changed. Take me back to the time when I could hug my dad without a nagging feeling in the…
When following Jesus hurts….
Left on their own, vine branches harbor disease and grow spindly, then die. They head off in wrong directions. God’s good nature is to prevent that. But, sometimes it hurts.
We are pruned.
If you say so Jesus
Luke 5:1-11. Jesus told Simon to put his nets down into the deep water. And, Peter’s response was a reluctant one. “Master, we have worked all night long, but we have caught nothing.” Um, Jesus. I just did that. You actually saw me cleaning up my empty nets before you borrowed my boat. But, after…
Cheez Whiz Jesus
There was a time I’d been lulled into feckless slumber as a Christian. Maybe it’s the American church. Maybe it was my being over-churched, equating religious marching in place with an abundant life. The mainstream denomination I attended never spoke of the Holy Spirit, much less His gifts and power. But, all the other Christians…
Hokey Pokey
When I was in junior high, my mom thought it best to put me in roller skates and push me out into the middle of a rink. I was shy. An introvert. And, I needed to be coaxed out of my shell. What better way to do that than to throw a party and have…
Storm warnings and the ocean of faith
Sometimes it’s our sin that leads us to desert places where we feel distant from God. Other times, it’s not sin, but faithfulness that leads us to a place where waves and storms threaten to overtake us. What does the Christian do when we say “yes” to God, and end up someplace overwhelming? In my…
A Girl and Her God 