Posts with the category “easter-2024”

Highlight This passage does not make grief easier or lighter by any means, but to know “we do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (v 13) should bring encouragement. It is a reminder that our hope is in Jesus. That the power He and the Holy Spirit have over this world is greater than death. That as a follower of Christ - hope is that Jesus died, was raised to life, and lives today. Therefore, the loved one that knew Christ and will live in eternity with Jesus. And one day, so will all who believe and hope in Jesus.  Read More

Highlight Peter is writing to a group of people who are experiencing hardship on multiple fronts. The Roman occupied world has begun to persecute Christians. Jewish religious leaders have continuously persecuted Christians. And families have turned their back on those members who have converted to Christianity. These people are in desperate need of encouragement. Therefore, Peter reminds them of their living hope.  Read More

Day 08 - April, 03Read Ephesians 1HighlightVerse 13-14 “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” The inheritance Paul is speaking about is not the possession of something we get later. It is the active and current work the Holy Sp...  Read More

Highlight Greek tradition believed that a human was divided into body and soul. It was thought that the soul was imprisoned in the body until it died, then the soul was released into the spiritual realm and free from its prison. Therefore this belief of body and soul was in a way - at war - with the Apostles teaching of a resurrected body. It is not known if the Corinth church was claiming that Jesus had not been raised from the dead. But it is clear that they claimed there would be no resurrection of the dead. Paul addresses this idea right away in this chapter. He lays out a beautiful argument for why the tradition is inaccurate. Then how Jesus’ physical resurrection catapults a future resurrection for all believers in both body and spirit.  Read More

Highlight Rhetorical questions are sometimes my favorite questions, because they are often used to get you thinking about something you had not considered. Paul is using this technique to ask the church in Rome if they should keep on sinning for grace to increase (v. 1). He then goes on to answer his own question in a fairly dramatic way - “By no means!” (v.2). To continue sinning and to justify that sin because it means “grace will abound even more” is a ridiculous concept to Paul. He argues that when you have accepted Jesus at his word and actions and have been baptized. You have proclaimed that you too will die to sin and be washed with the same spirit. Now it does not mean you won't be tempted and completely sinless. But now you live in the truth and do your best to walk in obedience to God and not in sin for more grace to be given to you.  Read More

WELCOME Welcome to Easter with Compassion. This reading plan is designed to partner with Compassion Christian Church’s sermon series of the same name, which you can find information about right here.  Read More

Highlight Jesus and his disciples would have been participating in the Festival of Unleavened Bread and Passover for their whole lives. The ritual, steps and order of events would be well worn and familiar to them. In fact, at this time in Jesus’ ministry, they would have at least celebrated together once if not twice. Therefore, they knew what to expect - or they thought they did, because all of a sudden Jesus goes off script.  Read More

Highlight Whether you have been around church for a long time or you just started coming, you have likely heard from the stage or read in the Bible words or concepts that seem difficult to grasp.   Read More

Highlight In this brief chapter, I can relate to Moses in verse 8 “Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharoah.” After relaying God’s message of the last plague - that He will go through the land and kill every firstborn son in Egypt. Moses is angry. Not that the Lord will do this, but that after all of these signs and wonders, Pharaoh still believes he is more powerful than God. Pharaoh is about to be responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent lives because of his own sinfulness and pride. Moses does not even wait for Pharaoh to answer, in his rage - he leaves.  Read More

Highlight Exodus 7 is the first interaction Moses and Aaron have with Pharoah and where all of the plagues begin. In ancient Egyptian culture, gods were often seen as people with authority. The pharaoh was often referred to as a god, therefore the opening verse where God says “I have made you like god to pharaoh” it is referring to the fact that Pharoah sees Moses as another authority figure. But God is going to show Pharoah there is only one true God in the land.  Read More

Highlight Moses encounters God in a unique experience. Not many of us can say God spoke to us from a burning bush. Nor can many of us say God called us to free an entire nation from the stronghold of Pharaoh. While this seems unimaginable to us - from being spoken to from a burning bush to delivering a nation out of captivity - we are not alone in thinking this way. Moses had questions.   Read More

Welcome to Easter with Compassion! This reading plan is designed to partner with Compassion Christian Church’s sermon series of the same name, which you can find information about right here. This week of the Christian calendar is referred to as Passion Week. It is the last week of Jesus’ life. It began with His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which we call Palm Sunday, and spoiler alert - it ends with His death on a cross, which we call Good Friday. From the disciples perspective, that Friday was anything but good. To them it was heavy, sorrowful, and filled with disappointment. Yet they do not stay there, because Easter comes. Jesus does not stay dead. Sunday morning comes and His body begins to breathe again. After darkness and grief, there is joy and celebration, because Jesus’ sacrificed Himself for us and our sins on a cross, then He defeated death and the grave, so we can have eternal life with Him.  Read More