January 1, 2024
Overcoming Our Problem
The Ephesians faced a serious problem in their lives . . .
Articles for tag: Stuart Powell
November 27, 2023
Seeing and Worshiping
Four times in his Gospel, Matthew described the response of people who approached Jesus and worshiped him. . . .
October 30, 2023
Mess to Message
We all are veterans of the spiritual war that will not end until Christ returns. . . .
July 24, 2023
The Anti-Miracle
It is amazing what God did with the "anti-miracle" of Good Friday. . . .
March 13, 2023
Amazing Authority
Mother Teresa and Jesus both lived lives that lent authority to their messages.
September 19, 2022
Blood-Stained Hands
We gather at this time to remember the Son of David—Jesus—who died with blood-stained hands. They were not stained from the battles against flesh-and-blood sinners . . .
September 12, 2022
Every Time
As with track runners, we Christians also have a finish line upon which we focus.
July 25, 2022
The Rock
I know of a rock that God created that can’t be moved by anything in all of creation. . . . Jesus described that rock as he was teaching his disciples . . .
May 16, 2022
Trust in God
By Stuart Powell In John 13-16, Jesus prepared his disciples for their next big step in following him. They had left their family’s trade and their parents’ house. They spent years listening to their rabbi speak and were astonished by his authority over weather, diseases, and demons. But what came next shook their faith in God and in him. They witnessed the heart-breaking evil of this sinful world that Jesus came to face and conquer. To help prepare his disciples, Jesus spoke these words to them: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me”
April 18, 2022
The Fruit of Hope
If God can raise his unjustly crucified Son from the dead in an unredeemed world, what else can he do?
April 11, 2022
Mary’s Pain
We need to dig into our own memories of despair to approach the tomb with the same weight Mary carried on Easter morning. . . .
March 28, 2022
Not My Will
How do you respond when life presses down on you and your situation overwhelms you? How do you cope with hard news that takes your breath away? Where do you find the strength to take the next step?
March 14, 2022
Welcoming Our Shame
By Stuart Powell By AD 32, the region of Judea had endured the shame of Roman oppression for a century. The Jews longed to see David’s kingdom restored but didn’t know how to make it happen. They dreamt of a kingdom where Jews ruled Jews and the Law of God brought perfect harmony in the Promised Land. The Jewish faithful opposed all Greek and Roman customs and mandates. They refused to offer sacrifices to the emperor, honor the false Roman deities, or willingly pay the tribute Caesar demanded. In response, the Romans ridiculed their faith and mercilessly killed any Jews
March 7, 2022
Different from the Herd
By Stuart Powell There is nothing strange about a herd of cattle in the farmland of Indiana. However, one herd contained a single member who stood out among the many. Amid the collection of four-legged bovine grazed a two-legged, feathered, web-footed, white goose. Nothing could hide the differences between the bird and the other grazing animals. Christians are called to be like that goose in the world. Just as a goose doesn’t belong in a herd of cattle, followers of Jesus don’t fit in with the ideas and priorities of worldly people. God expects us to intermingle with the rest
February 28, 2022
Clothed by God
By Stuart Powell God created humanity as male and female. He took care of their need for relationships by teaching them how to love him and each other. When they sinned and learned of their nakedness, God covered their shame, as explained in the Tree of Life Version: “Adonai Elohim made Adam and his wife tunics of skin and He clothed them” (Genesis 3:21). This is the first record of God clothing humanity. Initially, Adam and Eve knew nothing of evil, shame, or clothing. When they disobeyed, the fruit opened their eyes to evil, and evil exposed their shame. God
February 21, 2022
The Undiscovered Country
Exploration of the unknown was a common theme in Gene Roddenberry’s fictitious Star Trek stories. Roddenberry sought to avoid spiritual truths, yet there are many lessons for Christians embedded in those futuristic fables. . . .
February 14, 2022
A President’s Faith
Jesus fought for our freedom, as president Calvin Coolidge described, “not with the sword, but with the cross.”
February 7, 2022
Harmony
When believers gather to share in the loaf and the cup of the Lord’s Supper, we too come together in harmony . . .
January 10, 2022
Extremist for Love
At Calvary, Martin Luther King Jr. contended, "Jesus Christ . . . was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment."
January 3, 2022
The Look
As we eat and drink, remember that Jesus knows our failures as clearly as he knew Peter’s.
