Small Things Are Great

One of the beauties of reading the Bible chronologically is how it brings clarity and depth to the text. Context comes alive , and stories intertwine in ways that deepen our understanding of God's work.   As we dive into the letter to the Ephesians, we first paused at Acts 19. Here, we encountered a baptized congregation—passionate and devout, yet missing something essential. They had experienced the baptism of John, a baptism of repentance, but not the baptism Jesus gives: the Holy Spirit.   This isn't just an Ephesian problem. It mirrors the reality of many believers today. We settle for the water and miss the fire . We stop at what John wrought, forgetting what Jesus brought. We end up following the instructions of the man-of-God while neglecting the fullness of God’s invitation. The result? We master relationships with people but neglect intimacy with God. Our salvation becomes external—worked out, but not worked in. We serve tirelessly but lack the Spirit’s empowerment for

The book of Ephesians is packed with spiritual blessings available to every believer in Christ . These blessings are mentioned throughout the six chapters and highlight the riches of grace, power, and relationship believers have in/through/by Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3-14 1. Chosen by God (v. 4): God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. 2. Adopted as His children (v. 5): We are predestined for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ. 3. Redeemed through His blood (v. 7): We have redemption and forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. 4. Lavished with grace (v. 8): God's grace is poured out on us abundantly, with wisdom and understanding. 5. Revealed His will (v. 9): God has made known to us the mystery of His will, to unite all things in Christ. 6. Sealed with the Holy Spirit (v. 13): The Spirit is our guarantee of the inheritance to come. Ephesians 2:4-10 7. Made alive in Christ (v. 5): Though we were dead in sin, God

Earlier this year, I realized one of my greatest mistakes: I’ve been reading the Bible too fast—so fast that I’ve been missing so much of its richness. Slowing down has been humbling and rewarding.   In our fellowship, we’re currently reading through the book of Luke as we close out the year. Today, we’re focusing on chapters 5 and 6, and slowing down has allowed me to notice the power in even the first words of any section of scripture. Take Luke 5:1-2, for instance:   " On one occasion, while the crowd was PRESSING IN ON HIM to HEAR THE WORD OF GOD, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. " (ESV) Did you catch that? Pressing in on him to hear the word of God. This wasn’t a casual gathering. The crowd wasn’t there to see a show or snap pictures for social media (if they had it). They were pressing in —fighting for proximity—to hear the Word firsthand. They didn’t want sec

 2 Corinthians 11-13 The conclusion in 2 Corinthians is not the kind of soft and sweet farewell that makes you feel warm inside. It’s more like an emergency landing where the pilot (Paul) knows what he’s doing, but the passengers (the Corinthians) are panicking. And frankly, they deserve it. Paul is visibly frustrated—and who wouldn’t be? He’s the one who first introduced the Corinthians to the gospel (11:2-3), nurtured their faith(Acts 17:11-18:11), and even sent young ministers like Titus and others to disciple them (12:18). Yet here they are, trashing all his effort and entertaining self-proclaimed "super-apostles" with a gospel that’s all style, no substance. These intruders(Jews mostly) preach human works instead of Christ’s finished work on the cross, promote exclusivity (a gospel for Jews only or at least be a Jew first), and prioritize personal fame and financial gain over serving others (11:4-5, 20). Wah! This is not the injili we know from our Lord. If you’re a mini

Comfort. This word pops up early in 2 Corinthians. But, at first glance, it feels oddly placed since Paul and Timothy aren’t writing to people in mourning. Which begs the question: did Paul and Timothy know what "comfort" meant, or do they know something we’re missing? Turns out, it’s the latter. In this context, "comfort" isn’t the same kind of comfort that Mary and Martha received when Lazarus died. When people visited them to comfort them, it was about sharing their sorrow, empathizing, and offering support in their loss. Here, in 2 Corinthians, "comfort" has a different flavor altogether. It’s structured around the word “fort”—the root of FORTRESS. Now, historically, a fortress is a heavily fortified structure built to protect. It wasn’t put up during a crisis; it was built in anticipation  of one. Thick walls, towers, weapons, and even food were all put in place to withstand sieges, provide shelter, and house people and supplies. Across civilizations

These two chapters bring us to the conclusion of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, where he covers two big themes: GOING  and GIVING. I say " GOING " intentionally, because, while we often call it “death” and think of it as an end, Scripture suggests it’s more of a transition—from this life to either eternal life or condemnation. Earlier this year, we lost a young lad of 15. His departure hit me hard, and I found myself looking at Scripture again for comfort and clarity. What I discovered was eye-opening!  In Scripture, "death" often refers to physical death, particularly as a result of judgment or sin. Those who “died” faced God’s immediate judgment or were unbelievers. In contrast, "sleep" is frequently used to describe the death of believers, implying that physical death for them is only temporary because they will be raised to eternal life. This “sleep” softens the finality of death and reflects the Christian hope of resurrection.  Consider this: Anani