Jockeying for Power

May 1, 2021 DAILY READING Luke 14:12-14 [Psalm 116:1-4] FIELD NOTES Jesus is invited to dinner at a prominent Pharisee’s home.  He immediately begins confronting their hypocritical and ineffective theology.  They say nothing when he heals on the Sabbath.  They say nothing when he poses a moral question.  When he notices the guests jockeying for positions of power at…

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Be Holy.

April 30, 2021 DAILY READING 1 Peter 1:13-16 [Psalm 116:1-4] FIELD NOTES The writer here implores us to put to death our sinful desires.  Our earthly nature, as he puts it, consists of our greed, lust, envy, anger, malice, etc.  We are instead, to be Holy.  How often do you find your natural reaction to something to be undesirable?…

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Joy in Searching

April 29, 2021 DAILY READING 1 Peter 1:8b-12 [Psalm 116:1-4] FIELD NOTES Here in 1 Peter, we see that even the angels are seeking a deep relationship with God.  We seek and seek, and sometimes we seem to find ourselves where we want to be.  Often times, we fall short, due to a myriad of circumstances.  The writer…

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No Need for Signs

April 28, 2021 DAILY READING Matthew 12:38-42 Psalm 114 FIELD NOTES In Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense, scholar N.T. Wright says this: “Jesus is, at the moment, present with us, but hidden behind that invisible veil which keeps heaven and earth apart, and which we pierce in those moments, such as prayer, the sacraments, the reading…

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Matthew Paul Turner

Matthew Paul turner is the beloved children’s author of When God Made You, When God Made Light, All The Colors of Christmas, and more.  His upcoming book, What Is God Like? was co-written posthumously with Rachel Held Evans.  Check it out!

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Forgiven

April 27, 2021 DAILY READING 1 Corinthians 15:19-28 Psalm 114 FIELD NOTES John Wesley, in his sermon, The Repentance of Believers, says this: “Continue to believe in him that loved thee and gave himself for thee, that bore all thy sins in his own body on the tree; and he saveth thee from all condemnation…And when…

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Hope

April 26, 2021 DAILY READING 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Psalm 114 FIELD NOTES Paul implores us that the resurrection is real.  If it weren’t real he says, what is the point?  What is the point of church?  Of Bible study?  All of this that we call Christianity, what is the point if the resurrection didn’t happen? We have to live…

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The Call of the Fishermen (Dr. Jim Hughes)

This week’s preacher: Dr. Jim Hughes. We continue our series on the people of Jesus called “Kindred Hearts.” This series is the last in our year-long focus on intentional discipleship called “Walking with Jesus.” Learn how you can be more intentional in your walk with Jesus at bumc.net/journey. Our Scripture reading: Mark 1:16-20

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The Call of the Fishermen (Rev. Shelby Slowey)

This week’s preacher: Rev. Shelby Slowey. We continue our series on the people of Jesus called “Kindred Hearts.” This series is the last in our year-long focus on intentional discipleship called “Walking with Jesus.” Learn how you can be more intentional in your walk with Jesus at bumc.net/journey. Our Scripture reading: Mark 1:16-20

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Pushing Back Against Death

April 24, 2021 DAILY READING Matthew 8:18-22 FIELD NOTES So often it seems, we give up too soon, weary from our work that bears so little results.  So often, we forget that Jesus, who has called us, is the one who also empowers us.  We forget that Jesus brings forth a bounty of fish so large, his…

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