A Life Changing Encounter

There are a few experiences in life that are unforgettable and life transforming. As we journey through life and reflect back on our own story, we can all remember moments that marked our life.

Interestingly, the text we are reading today is that one experience that Peter marks out in his own experience and wrote about it in 2 Peter 1:16-18.

In Luke’s recounting the story, he places this event at a very critical moment.

Now that I have your attention…

Change expert John Kotter claims that major transformation initiatives most often fail because the critical first step in the process is skipped or executed poorly. The first step is “Establishing a sense of urgency.” (1) In other words, get people’s attention. Make them see why it is in their best interests to commit to the change.

Servants of the New Agreement

Read Reflect After facing death in Asia, Paul traveled to Troas and then to Macedonia to proclaim the good news. We are reminded that travel was difficult in the first century notwithstanding the network of roads built by the Romans. Paul’s words reveal his commitment to his colleagues. He was unable to rest because of […]

Jesus our Righteousness

When the risen Christ confronted Saul/Paul on the Damascus road, Paul’s whole life was radically changed. He turned from flushing out Christians in Damascus to kill them, to joining with them in worshipping their God whom he now knew. He turned from hate and rage to love and peace.

The Fruits of a Good Wife, Part 3

What makes a person – a woman, a man – good and noble is their character, not what car they drive or how much fame they have or where they shop. Being a person of good character doesn’t start outside; it starts inside by having faith and having God work in our lives (Acts 11:24).

God’s Not Finished with Us Yet

As part of the vision (chs. 8-11), Ezekiel sees a group of twenty-five men. These men assume that they are the privileged ones who the Lord is preserving. They view themselves as “the choice meat in the cooking pot” (vv. 3, 11), in contrast to those who have already been taken into exile (v. 15).

Where Does Lasting Change Come From?

Before he met Jesus, Paul spent all of his time seeking to earn God’s favour (see Galatians 1:14, Philippians 3:6). Yet when he encountered the risen Christ on the Damascus road (Acts 9), he came to see that the Law could never make a person right with God (Rom 3:23).

Read More desires, turmoil, transformation, the Law

Remembering the Future

Painful memories can often be an incentive for achieving a better future. And there has been much in Zechariah’s words to the people of Jerusalem and Judah to motivate them to change by reminding them of their difficult past. But now Zechariah adds a new note to his sermon: it is a glimpse of the future God has in store for them.

What’s The Difference?

Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) is held in high esteem in Scotland, both for his commitment to truth and his concern for the poor. It is said of him that “he warmed Glasgow,” a commendation of the gospel as much as Chalmers. He exemplifies the gospel as God at work to “rescue us from everything that is evil and to make our hearts pure” (v 14).

We Need a Change

What changes people who are “stupid, disobedient and foolish” (v 3) into those “who do something helpful” (vv 1,8,14)? How can people who were full of jealousy and hatred (v 3) become gentle and kind to everyone (v 2)? Paul will tell us what brings about change but also warn us what can stifle change.