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Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which […]

Certainly, every body is like grass, all its glory like a wildflower: the grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of the Lord endures forever. 1 Peter 1:24-25 Man’s days are like hay, he blooms like a wildflower in the field; the wind barely touches it, and it’s gone, its place no longer remembers it. Psalm 103:15-16 The seven ancient Christian practices or disciplines, which directly come from Judaism and the teachings of the early church, stand firmly as indispensable guides to incorporating our faith into everyday life filled with human, psycho-physical activities. Each […]

Reading: Philippians 1:12-14 I want to tell you, brothers, that my current situation has actually helped the progress of the gospel. So it has become known among all the guards and others that I am in chains for the sake of Christ. Most of the brothers in the Lord, encouraged by my chains, now dare even more to preach God’s word. Reflection: Paul writes this passage from a Roman prison. In Philippians 1:13, he reveals that he is imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. The reason for his arrest was a violation of the command not […]

Reading: 1 Peter 1:17: If you call on the Father, who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear during the time of your stay on earth. Reflection: Calling God our Father is both a privilege and a responsibility. God-fearing is associated with responsibility. Being God-fearing means living in accordance with God’s will, His revelation, and the calling we have received. It involves choosing to always do good, in every moment and decision. However, many times we may not feel capable of being the kind of good we desire to be, and […]

Reading: 1 Peter 1:16 It is written: “Be holy, for I am holy.” Reflection: Being holy means becoming and being what God already is – holy! I remember reading in a book long ago what it means to ‘be holy’? Exactly that – to be! Does God strive to be holy? No – He is holy! It is not much different with us. We are equally holy! The difference is that we are made holy by God’s decision and we do not have to strive to become holy – we already are! But you are […]

Reading: 1 Peter 1:14-15; Colossians 3:1-5 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do. If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God! Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth! For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God! When Christ who is your life […]

Reading: 1 Peter 1:13-16 The First Epistle of Peter was written to the church in Asia Minor, which was not large or dominant in society. It was a church that, in a way, was a “foreign body” in its environment and was already facing persecution that threatened to escalate. In such a context, the daily life of this church was filled with various trials. Peter wants Christians to understand that as they give their best while going through trials, they are also being purified and prepared for what is to come. And that is the […]

Reading: Genesis 11:1-8 Reflection: Language, as a marvelous cognitive and social phenomenon, is at the heart of the birth of the church. Language is given to us to communicate, store, and transmit knowledge. Language connects people in communities. Language is the key instrument through which the culture of every social group is built. While in Babylon, God confused languages, but on Pentecost, God gathered people of all languages and united them. In Babylon, languages were unintelligible. On Pentecost, languages were understandable. Do you now understand the idea of the Christian understanding of the events on […]