New Testament readers notice almost immediately that John’s Gospel is different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Its uniqueness provides a biblical portrait of Jesus we would not otherwise have. John’s distinct...

The “A” on my 11th-grade English paper brought a smile, but the note my teacher added beneath it made me think. “Use your voice to create change!” she said, encouraging a...

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthian church opens with words of encouragement, gratitude, and affirmation. He reminds them of their identity as God’s people, their connection to Christ’s followers everywhere, and...

A couple of years ago, I met a woman who was looking for work—odd jobs of any kind, really. She had numerous skills: housekeeping, painting, construction, electrical work, lawn maintenance, garage...

Occasionally in church services of my childhood, someone would “give their testimony,” dramatically recalling how God rescued them and gave them new life. The “pit of death” and the “mud and...

The opening verses of Isaiah 49 record a turning point in the life of Israel, God’s servant. After objecting to God’s call to the point of weariness, he acknowledges the insufficiency...

Nevertheless. How do you hear that word? Is it a long sigh of resignation, of giving up? Or do you hear in that word a song of faith, trust, confidence, and...

Even after floodwaters recede, it is immediately evident exactly how high the water rose. Watermarks etch the walls of the houses at ankle, knee, abdomen, eye-level—leaving a lasting imprint of the...

We draw breath more than twenty thousand times per day, an act often done unconsciously. Yet our breath can also serve as a powerful anchor for our attention whenever we turn...

From the chaos of creation and the psalmist’s mystical visions to Christ quelling storms on the Sea of Galilee, the scriptures are replete with God’s voice echoing across waters. Matthew’s scene...