He Knows My Reluctance to Love Scripture Reading: Luke 10:25-42 Meditation Jesus knows that love is an art and that the art of love is to take notice. Ever since his ministry began, Jesus has been trying to paint pictures of what life is like in the kingdom of God. As he paints, the strokes […]
Author: Paul Arndt
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Day 13
He Knows My Desire to Be First Scripture Reading: Mark 9:30-37; 10:32-45 Meditation The road to Jerusalem leads to a cross but Jesus walks the path anyway. Though they pledge their allegiance to the Master, the disciples, however, want to go their own way. They want to walk the way of glory. They run after […]
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Day 12
He Knows My Faith Scripture Reading: Luke 7:1-10 Meditation Soldiers understand authority. They live and move under the chain of command. When their commander says ‘Go,’ they go. When he says ‘Come,’ they come. When he says ‘Do this,’ they do it double time. In the chain of command, every order is a link of […]
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Day 11
He Knows My Unbelief Scripture Reading: Mark 9:14-32 Meditation When a child is in constant pain and a father’s persistent prayers go unanswered, doubt tears faith apart. The father who brings his demon-possessed son to Jesus’ disciples has faith, but it’s a faith intermixed with unbelief. And right now, unbelief is slowly taking over the lion’s share […]
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Sabbath of Peace
“You have bedded me down in lush meadows,you find me quiet pools to drink from.” Psalm 23:2 Peace. The very sound of the word is soothing to the soul. It’s a quiet word not easily heard above the clatter of the world’s daily chaos. It never shouts over the madness. It whispers calm into it. […]
“Saturdays in the Scripture” Session 3
“eXPlain it” We’ve started our “Saturday in the Scriptures” class at East Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Detroit. If you’d like to follow along with our study you can access the supplemental materials at the “eXPlain it” online learning portal. If you’d like to join the online learning community you can click on the link below […]
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Day 10
He Knows My Loss Scripture Reading: Luke 7:11-23 Meditation For the widow from the village Nain, the death of her only son represents loss upon loss. As her son’s funeral procession makes it way toward the village cemetery, the widow carries a double burden. She’s walked the path from her home to the graveyard once […]
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Day 9
He Knows My Helplessness Scripture Reading: John 5:1-15 Meditation The pool of Bethesda is where the angel of the Lord swims. Popular belief has it that whoever is the first to jump into the pool when the angel splashes is the one who would be cured of whatever disease he had. But there is only […]
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Day 8
He Knows My Plea Scripture Reading: John 4:43-54 Meditation The village of Cana is still abuzz about Jesus’ last visit. They all remember the wedding with the heavenly wine. But it was only after the wedding that they found out what had really happened. The groom had miscalculated—more guests than wine. Mary, Jesus’ mother, had whispered the […]
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Day 7
He Knows My Panic Scripture Reading: Luke 2:41-52 Meditation A mother’s greatest joy is holding her baby close. But there comes a day when she has to open her arms and let him go. It’s a moment when she finds herself suddenly looking up at her son, not down. Suddenly she realizes that he’s no […]
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Day 6
He Knows My Terror Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-23 Meditation As Mary and Joseph settle in Bethlehem, a river of blood flows through Judea. Its headwaters begin at the foot of Herod’s throne and its current courses through the small Roman province. Herod’s terror surges through every village surrounding Jerusalem, sweeping away royal foes, friends, and […]
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Day 5
He Knows My Confusion Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-20 Meditation For a young couple planning a marriage, timing is everything. First comes the bended knee—the pledge and the proposal. Next, there are the wedding plans, showers, invitations and excitement of the engagement. Finally, there’s the ceremony, the “I dos”, the best wishes from friends and family, […]
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Sabbath of Provision
A David psalm “God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing.” Psalm 23:1 David was the shepherd boy who became a king. Though he sat on the throne and wore a crown, his heart never left the green pastures and still waters. The nation of Israel might have been able to take the boy out […]
“Saturdays in the Scripture” Session 2
The Central Message of the Scripture We’ve started our “Saturday in the Scriptures” class at East Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Detroit. If you’d like to follow along with our study you can access the supplemental materials at the “eXPlain it” online learning portal. If you’d like to join the online learning community you can click […]
Forty Day Journey with Jesus: Day 4
He Knows My Dreams Scripture Reading: Matthew 1:18-25 Meditation Joseph’s a practical man with practical plans. He’s a carpenter. His life, like his work, is deliberate. He always starts with a set of blueprints. First he plans his work and then he works his plan. He measures twice so that he only has to cut […]