Before a new phone reaches stores, case makers stake a year’s work on a mold they cannot verify, hoping every opening lands in the right place. Genesis 15 places Abraham in a sharper uncertainty: God has promised descendants and worldwide blessing, but no son has appeared. What does faithful action look like when the promise is clear and its fulfillment remains invisible?
A child at a pond knows the drill: rod, reel, line in the water. Then something tugs. Knowing how to cast is not the same as being ready for the catch. In Matthew 10, Jesus takes his “Fishers of Men” and gives them further preparation for an even more important catch.
We long for fresh starts, yet even after coming to Christ we can feel the pull to return to the same old sins and familiar ways. Romans 6:6–9 says our old self was crucified with Christ and that death no longer rules him—so what does that new standing mean for believers still facing temptation, failure, and the daily work of living for him?
A vaccination can leave you feeling wretched for a week, tempting you to wish you could undo it and try again later. That’s the kind of pressure that hits when the gospel goes out in Acts 14—Paul and Barnabas meet rising opposition in Iconium, and the question becomes how we press ahead without quitting or compromising.
We easily draw safe boundaries around God’s grace, welcoming those who seem familiar while overlooking those who feel foreign or difficult. Yet the distant wise men of Matthew 2 and the rejoicing Gentiles of Acts 13 confront those boundaries: Jesus came to reach the world. Who might God be placing beyond our comfort, yet within the reach of his good news?
In the movies, every important meeting starts with a clear “You may be wondering why I’ve called you here today.” Real meetings leave you guessing the whole time—and sometimes long after. We often treat God’s Word the same way, yet Ephesians 1 addresses the question head-on: why are you here?
Where do we go from Easter? Acts 1 gives us an idea as we see how Jesus prepares and gives purpose to His disciples.
Pastor Tim helps us think about the next question in the New City Catechism (“What does Christ’s resurrection mean for us?”).
Pastor Tim helps us think about the next question in the New City Catechism (“Where is Christ now?”), a question that relates to how we view subjects such as communion.
Greg helps us think about the next question in the New City Catechism (“What is the Church?”).