Weekday Word w/ Eric

Tag: god

  • Belonging is Discipleship

    Scripture:“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”— 1 Corinthians 12:27 Reflection:The apostle Paul gives us an image that is simple enough for a child to understand and profound enough to shape a lifetime: the church is a body. Not a brand. Not a weekly show. Not a loose collection of religious consumers.…

  • When Woundedness Leads to the Wrong Conclusion

    Scripture:“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came.”— John 20:24 Reflection:There are seasons when stepping back makes emotional sense. A person gets wounded, disappointed, or exhausted, and distance feels safer than closeness. That can happen in families, in friendships, and yes, in churches. Sometimes church becomes the…

  • Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

    Scripture:“Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian.’”— Acts 26:28 Reflection:There is something haunting about that word almost. Agrippa was not hostile to Paul. He was not ignorant of what he was hearing. He was not far away from the truth. He was close enough to feel its pull, close…

  • Hidden Grace (In Plain View)

    Scripture:“Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him.” (Luke 24:15–16) One of the strangest parts of the Emmaus story is that Jesus is right there, and they don’t recognize him. They’re looking at him, talking to him, walking with him—and still… nothing clicks. And if we’re honest,…

  • Do You See This Woman?

    Scripture:“Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, ‘Do you see this woman?’” (Luke 7:44) Luke tells a dinner story where a “sinful woman” enters, weeps, anoints Jesus, and is silently condemned. The host’s judgment is not subtle: “If Jesus knew what kind of woman this is…” In Luke’s world, women carried reputations…

  • Grief Stops the Parade

    Scripture:“When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, ‘Don’t cry.’” (Luke 7:13) Luke tells the story of a widow in Nain who has lost her only son. In that society, this wasn’t just emotional devastation—it was economic and social vulnerability. A widow without a son could quickly become invisible,…

  • The Women in Jesus’ Family Tree

    Scripture:“He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.” (Luke 1:52)“Tamar… Rahab… Ruth… the wife of Uriah…” (Matthew 1:3, 5–6) Luke doesn’t give us a genealogy the way Matthew does, but Luke absolutely gives us the same theology: God lifts the lowly and works through the overlooked. Matthew makes that…

  • What Restoration Looks Like

    Scripture:“They found the man… sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.” (Luke 8:35)“They devoted themselves… and all who believed… had all things in common.” (Acts 2:42–47) Luke doesn’t end with fireworks. He ends with a picture of wholeness: clothed, clear-minded, sitting at Jesus’ feet. That’s not merely “symptom management.” That’s…

  • An Outsider of Outsiders

    Scripture:“A man… met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs.” (Luke 8:27)“Jesus came… to seek out and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10) Luke describes this man in layers of exclusion. He’s not just struggling—he’s socially erased. No home. No…

  • The Injury Caused By Holding On Too Tight

    Scripture (Luke):“When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy.” (Luke 18:23)“How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” (Luke 18:24) Luke brings a rich ruler into the conversation—an insider with everything going for him: moral seriousness, social standing, resources, respectability. He wants eternal life. He…