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Empowered to Witness (Acts 1:6-11)

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Maybe it is a time for a reset. What does it mean to be sent with a mission to reach people for Christ? Maybe we would do well to just step back a bit and listen again for the call of our Lord. What does it mean to be faithful to the call Christ has given us to be his witnesses? In today’s text we see that the disciples were likely feeling small and ill-equipped for the task of changing the world, yet Jesus redirected their focus from their own limitations to the gift that was coming. Acts 1 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” 9 When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their si...
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Bearing One Another’s Burdens (Galatians 6:1-10)

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Have you ever had someone see you at your worst and still choose to sit beside you rather than walk away? Maybe it was a friend who listened without fixing, or a small group member who brought a meal when you could barely get out of bed. In those moments, you tasted something holy. Paul writes about that kind of holy community in Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” ( read Galatians 6:1-10 ). Not the law of Moses. The law of Christ. And what is that law? To love as Jesus loved. A love that gets low, gets messy, and stays. But Paul is also a realist. He knows that churches can become places where we compare our struggles or, worse, pretend we don’t have any. So he begins this passage with a gentle warning: “My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness” (v. 1). Restoration, not humiliation. Gentleness, not gossip. From a Wesleyan perspec...
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Grace Under Fire (1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11)

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Most of us do not expect hardship when we are trying to do the right thing. We pray, serve, care for others, and seek to follow Christ, yet we still face criticism, disappointment, loneliness, and seasons of weariness. There are moments when suffering feel s personal, as though something strange has happened to us. Peter writes to believers who were walking through hardship and uncertainty, and his words still speak gently and truthfully to us today: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you” (v. 4:12). Read the entire text .  The word “beloved” carries the whole theological weight of the passage. Before Peter says a single thing about suffering, he names who these people are to God. They are loved ones. Suffering does not revoke that identity. And yet the suffering is real. Peter does not minimize it. The same letter that calls us to rejoice also tells us to “cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you” (v. 5:7). This ...
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Open the Eyes of My Heart (Ephesians 1:15-23)

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You probably remember “Open the Eyes of My Heart” Paul Baloche. He based the lyrics on Ephesians 1:18, “so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may perceive what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints.” The version I was most familiar with was the recording by Sonicflood. Michael W. Smith also made a recording that was highly popular. Perhaps you still sing it occasionally in your worship or other gatherings. While the song captures the majesty of the apostle Paul’s writing, the apostle expresses his desire for the Ephesians (and us) in his prayers. Have you ever told someone, “I’m praying for you,” and then paused to wonder what exactly to pray? In moments when words feel thin or situations feel beyond fixing, prayer can become less about changing circumstances and more about opening hearts. The apostle Paul gives us one of those prayers here in this letter to the Ephesians. It is a prayer that reaches d...
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Held in Grace on Mother’s Day

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Mother’s Day is a beautiful day for many people, but it can also be a difficult one. Some celebrate with joy and gratitude. Others carry grief for mothers who are gone, strained relationships, infertility, miscarriage, loneliness, or the pain of unmet hopes. Some mothers are weary and overwhelmed. Others quietly wonder if anyone notices the sacrifices they make each day. On this day, the church holds space for both joy and sorrow, trusting that God meets us in all of it. Scripture often speaks of God’s tender care in ways that reflect the nurturing love many have experienced through mothers. The prophet Isaiah writes, “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13a, NRSVue). These words remind us that God’s love is personal, gentle, and near. Whether this day brings celebration or heartache, God sees each person fully and lovingly. Mother’s Day can also remind us that family is not always simple. Some people have known deep love from their mothers, while othe...
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A Heart of Fulfillment (Matthew 5:17-20)

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Have you ever tried to follow a rule so carefully that you missed the point of it? I have heard it said, “Rules without love are mean, but love without rules is meaningless.” It reminds me of the words of Martin Luther King, Jr . “What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic.” Rules can guide us, but they are not meant to replace the heart behind them. In Matthew 5:17-20 , Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” He goes on to say that not even the smallest part of the law will pass away until all is accomplished. At first glance, that can feel heavy, like an impossible standard. But Jesus is not tightening the rules to trap us. He is revealing their true purpose. The law was always meant to lead us into a life shaped by love of God and neighbor. It is not a cold checklist. It is an invitation into a life shaped by ...
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Praying for Life (Colossians 1:9-14)

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What have you done for me lately? Yes, it is the title of a 1986 hit by Janet Jackson , but the saying goes back much further, at least to the 1950s. It reflects what some people refer to as hedonic adaptation . It means we get so used to the way things were yesterday we expect more today. It echoes the sentiment in John 6, where Jesus notes that followers are seeking him not for the spiritual significance of miracles, but because he provided food, asking implicitly what he can do for them immediately: “you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” (v. 26) Sometimes our prayer life may reflect a bit of that attitude. Sometimes we begin to treat God as a Cosmic Vending Machine . If we just put in enough prayer coins we should get what we want. After all, didn’t Jesus say, “If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it?” (John 14:14) Of course, right after that he says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” (v. 15) So, ho...
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