Reflecting the Image (by Carla Sunberg)

A couple of Christ-followers. Grateful for their lives of discipleship.  Scripture: Luke 17:1   Jesus said to his disciples, “Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to anyone by whom they come! 2 It would be better for you if a millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea than for you to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive. 4 And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.” Observation: Jesus was talking to his disciples and there were two sides to the conversation. He was talking about the disciples’ own spiritual growth and the fact that there would be plenty of opportunities to stumble. It was a warning against hubris, or thinking too much of their own spiritual growth and development. Humility was ...

My mom blessing my niece Misty Johnson at her wedding, with my great-niece Rachel looking on.  Scripture: 1 John 2: 12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have conquered the evil one. 14 I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Observation: This passage in 1 John has been referred to in different ways. John Wesley would suggest that these are levels of spiritual maturity. Little children in their faith are embracing the fact that their sins are forgiven. Spiritual fathers have grown to a place of maturity where t...

An early morning view of the sky on the way to the airport. Pondering the greatness of God.  Scripture: Rom. 8:9   But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. Observation: Paul often talked about the contrast of life in the Spirit vs. life in the flesh. For him, life in the flesh was the old life that was governed by the law; it was the place where the physical body and it’s desires won over on a daily basis. He knew that transformation came when someone was united with Christ.   There is no separation of the Trinity, and...

A child wrapped up and warmly embraced. The invitation is to be tightly in union with Christ.  Scripture: Rom. 8:1   There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Observation: Paul’s comment here must be connected to previous statements made in chapter five. It is because of the sin of Adam that all are condemned, but it is because of Christ that we are now all set free. However, it’s also inclusion language. Previously humanity was found “in” Adam, but now It is because of union with Christ that we are delivered from the condemnation of sin. We are invited to move from being “in” Adam to being “in” Christ. Application: This is an incredible invitation for all of humanity. I’m not sure that we can ever truly grasp the hopefulness that is found in these beautiful words. It’s far too easy to live a life in which we feel weighed down by guilt and shame. In a world that has trouble defining sin, it seems that ...

Scripture: Psalms 1:1-3 Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. Observation: The Psalmist seems to understand that joy found deep down comes from meditating on the law of the Lord. It is in meditating, in a place of prayer, that we are drawn into fellowship with the Triune God. Therefore, there is no time to follow the path of sinners or to become negative and scoff. Instead the focus is positive, and it is on the Lord our God.  When we dwell in the presence of God most high, then we are fed by and through the Holy Spirit. We become as a tree that has been planted next to the streams of water. It is always ...

Scripture: Acts 19:8   He entered the synagogue and for three months spoke out boldly, and argued persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9 When some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation, he left them, taking the disciples with him, and argued daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. Observation: What we see here is a common pattern for Paul and his missionary activity. He would first enter a city and begin his ministry by preaching at the synagogue. Maybe he anticipated the opposition to his preaching that he faced at the synagogue. Eventually he would need to move to another location for a broader audience.  It’s suspected that Paul could have given his early morning hours to his work as a tent-maker. Then, more than likely, he used the lecture hall when it was available during the middle ...