Acts 17:16-34. Whilst the Apostle Paul waited for Silas and Timothy to join him from Berea, he looked around Athens. He noticed God-fearing people (17), people who wanted to engage with what he had to say (18-21). He saw how religious they were, and how they worshipped (22-23). But he was distressed because the people […]
Galatians 5: 13-26. Paul’s concern for the Galatians is that they don’t allow themselves to get side-tracked from their faith in Jesus. They were in danger of listening to those who suggested that Jesus was great and His death and resurrection were important – if only they stuck with the Jewish practice of the law […]
Acts 16: 1 – 15. It is easy to read the opening verses of Acts 16 as if Paul was doing exactly what he wanted, when he wanted, and how he wanted (1-5). But we know from the full breadth of Paul’s teaching that he constantly let the Holy Spirit guide him, and that he […]
Acts 2: 1-41. To fully grasp all that took place when the Holy Spirit came down on God’s people at Pentecost, we need to recognise the “heart” of Pentecost (1-21). That happens as we see the importance of the outward expression of the Holy Spirit, but the inner experience of the heart must come first. […]
Ephesians 4: 1-16. In John 13:35 we have the words of Jesus declaring: “This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples: if you love one another”. That happens through unity. In his commentary on Ephesians in the Bible Speaks Today series, John Stott helps us understand from Ephesians 4 how unity depends […]
John 14: 15-27. John shows us the depth of the promise that our relationship with God will be unbroken and unshaken. The words of Jesus in this chapter explain that the Holy Spirit is our constant source of comfort that will never leave us. Therefore we can trust the integrity of the promise, and live […]
John 20: 1 – 31.
Matthew 26:17-56, John 18:1-40. We live our lives with expectations – for us, our families, our work; but when events do not meet our expectations how do we handle that ? Peter, and the other disciples had expectations. Peter even went to the olive grove where they used to meet and pray, equipped to deal […]
John 12: 1-19. We readily, and understandably, focus on the celebrations of “Palm Sunday” as Jesus came into Jerusalem. It’s good that we do that, but we need to hold in mind the bigger picture. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because peace was hidden from their eyes (Lk. 19:41). Yet, without His “Triumphant Entry” into that […]
John 2:1-25; 6:1-24; 11:1-44; 7:1–8:59; 10:22-42; 11:45-57. Jesus knew that words on their own wouldn’t be enough, and so all that He did, from the everyday to the miraculous, would be needed for people to see their redemption in Him. The miracles that Jesus performed are given a high profile in all of the gospels. But […]