A Moment of Hope

by Marilynn Chadwick Are you growing in your faith merely to become a "deeper" disciple? I call this a "so what" faith. I believe Jesus is calling us to more. God's Word urges us to grow in our faith "so that" we'll give our lives away to the least and lost. I hope our lessons from the Gospel of Luke will encourage us to reflect on the question, "Is my life a so what or a so that?" How can we make...

by Marilynn Chadwick Luke stresses the importance of the widow's sacrificial gift. Jesus tells us the Father loves this kind of faith. We bring him glory when we trust him as our loving Provider. Such a message is vastly different from what the religious leaders were teaching. Jesus rebukes them, "What sorrow also awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious...

by Marilynn Chadwick Throughout Luke's Gospel, Jesus was always teaching. Sometimes he got his message across by preaching to a crowd, such as the Sermon on the Mount. Other times, he made a strong statement through his actions...like turning over the money-changers tables for their misuse of the temple (Luke 19). I think he got his point across, don't you? Still other times, Luke points to how Je...

by Marilynn Chadwick I shared yesterday how my friend Angela challenged me with her sacrificial giving and great faith. She firmly believes the poor widow in Luke's story had seen God come through for her before (Luke 21:1-4). She had faith he would care for her again. But it was Angela's final comment that brought a new dimension to the power of the widow's gift. Angela said quietly, "For this wo...

by Marilynn Chadwick Why does Luke choose to highlight this particular poor widow's gift in Jesus's showdown with the scribes in Luke 21:1-4? Perhaps, as discussed earlier, she is an example of Luke's theme of "divine reversal." Luke consistently honors the smallest of things—small children, outsiders, widows, and especially the poor. Or perhaps it's because her gift was the most sacrificial of al...

by Marilynn Chadwick We've seen how Luke compared the Temple offerings of the rich people with the sacrificial gift from the poor widow:  Jesus looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the offering box, and he saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abun...

by Marilynn Chadwick Let's take a look at the poor widow's gift (Luke 21:1-4). Luke reminds us how she gave what the rich young ruler would not (Luke 18:22). And proportionately, she gave even more than Zacchaeus (Luke 19:8). All the more reason for Jesus's public affirmation of her gift in front of the corrupt teachers of the law. In addition to their worship of money, the religious leaders also...

by Marilynn Chadwick Luke's Gospel emphasizes society's outcasts—those lacking in power, prestige, and money. He tells stories of Jesus's kindness toward women, the weak, and the powerless. But he gives an especially prominent place to the poor. Luke flips society's "script" about who has value and who does not, a motif sometimes called the "divine reversal." The proper attitude toward possessions...

by Marilynn Chadwick Most of us know Luke as the physician, but did you know he's also widely regarded as a respected historian? According to Luke's opening verses, the author himself refers to his work as an "orderly account" rather than a Gospel (Luke 1:3). The story of the poor widow's sacrificial gift (Luke 21:1-4) is one of Luke's most well-known stories about Jesus and money. It takes place...

by Marilynn Chadwick Money was Jesus's most talked-about topic. He addressed money matters in nearly a third of his parables and often referred to money in his teachings about the condition of a person's heart. Did you know the Bible mentions money, possessions, and wealth over 2,000 times? Jesus even referred to money as a rival god. "No servant can serve two masters," he warned, "for either he w...

by David Chadwick What an exhilarating time it is to visit the mountains in the fall. Every color of the leaves shouts out that God exists! As you're visiting local mountains, let it remind you to also explore the biblical significance of mountains. Each mountain range in the Bible has some kind of spiritual truth we need to grasp. For example, we need to go to Mount Hermon. It's the mountain rang...

by David Chadwick Mountains in autumn are captivating. We can't stay away. And rightly so. The colors alone make us gasp at God's beauty. If you visit the mountains this fall, also think about the purpose of mountains in the Bible. They have a spiritual significance that is as deep and wondrous as the physical beauty. For example, go to Mount Sinai. It's the place where Moses received the 10 Comma...

by David Chadwick Don't you love going to the mountains this time of year? The majesty and colors of the leaves often leave us breathless. When you see the beauty of the mountains, remember to also take time to visit the different mountains in the Bible - ones that hold special significance for our spiritual development. For example, make sure you visit Mount Carmel. What happened there? Elijah, t...

by David Chadwick If you're going to the mountains this fall to enjoy its splendor, do some spiritual mountain-gazing as well. How can you do so? Go to Mount Moriah. It's where God told Abraham to go and sacrifice his only beloved son, Isaac (Genesis 22). Why would God ask Abraham to do this heinous act? Abraham had waited 25 years for this promised son. He was now a teenager and the love of his l...

by David Chadwick The fall season always offers a chance to see God's multi-colored glory like no other time during the year. How? By going to the mountains. If you do so this year, always remember that mountains in the Bible are called "the high places." They are places where you can experience God like nowhere else. This autumn, make sure you visit the biblical mountains that will enhance your l...

by David Chadwick The final characteristic of false teachers is found in Jude 1:12,13, which says they are "hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear; shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloo...

by David Chadwick Wheat and tares are growing up side by side and will continue to do so until Jesus's return (see Matthew 13). It is not our job to determine who is wheat and who is a tare regarding the eternal destiny of people's souls. However, we are called to examine fruit. We are to be shrewd as serpents, while remaining innocent as doves. The fourth characteristic of a false teacher is that...

by David Chadwick Wisdom, knowledge, and discernment are widely underused and undertaught attributes of a Christian. In my humble opinion, these are pillars of maturity. Without them, you will remain tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine and deceitful scheme (Ephesians 4:14). The next sign of a false teacher is found in Jude verse 4. They "deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ." They do...

by David Chadwick There has never been a more important time to discern correctly about false teaching. Our world is rampant with deception, often within the church. I have heard countless stories over the years of pastors, Bible study teachers, even small group leaders saying truly bizarre things to the people of God. It is no small thing to play a role in stewarding the heart of another person o...

by David Chadwick Our church has been doing a verse by verse study through the book of Jude. The book of Jude is all about contending for the "faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3). It also gives the church very serious warnings of the dangers of false teaching. Over the next week, I want to lay out five warning signs of false teachers. More specifically, I want to help y...

by David Chadwick This week, as we wrap up our mini English lesson of pondering prepositions, I hope that you will never look at these small words the same way. I pray that they have shaped your prayer life and will continue to shape your view of God as you abide in him. Let's finish with this final preposition: AROUND. God's presence is all around us. Psalm 139 says he is everywhere and we cannot...

by David Chadwick This week, we are looking at how something as simple as an English preposition is a powerful tool when it comes to explaining the nature and character of God. These tiny little worlds that we use so often can also give us strategies for how to pray. Here is the next preposition to ponder: over. The sovereign Almighty God of the universe is watching OVER us. In some translations o...

by David Chadwick This week, for some of you, probably feels like a flashback to elementary English lessons. My hope is to use practical teachings to motivate you in the spiritual practices. Some of the prepositions in the English language are both powerful descriptors of God's presence and great prompts for how to pray. Today's prepositions to ponder: "on" and "for." What comes to your mind when...

by David Chadwick Jesus Christ, the hope of glory, is IN you. He is also WITH you. While God is a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1), he is also omnipresent, meaning his very nature and character is everywhere. He is eternal and exists outside of time. Because of this, he goes before us and behind us. Our next prepositions to ponder are "before" and "behind." Jesus Christ goes befo...

by David Chadwick Every good English teacher knows and teaches the importance of prepositions. Do you remember learning them as a child? They are the connecting words that describe the relationship between a noun or pronoun and the other words in a sentence. Over the next week, I want us to ponder five-plus prepositions that will strengthen how we pray and also ponder Jesus's love for us. Today's...