Grace

Modern readers sometimes assume Jesus’ original followers readily welcomed the news of his resurrection because they were gullible. The New Testament Easter narratives tell a different story–one that strikes a fair-minded reader as both historically reliable and psychologically authentic, inviting us to consider both its plausibility and significance today, rather than dismissing it as an idle tale.

The Apostle Paul’s conversion story appears three times in Acts. Why would Luke devote so much space to one life-changing moment? Here we’ll explore what this story reveals about life, faith, transformation, and the kind of church we want to be.

It seems so easy to let our differences divide us. We feel comfort in surrounding ourselves with similar opinons, looks, backgrounds, and abilities to ours. This passage is just one of many examples that displays the deep unity the early church held, across differences, as the people clung to their commitment to the message of Jesus.

What makes for a healthy church in a large city? What we see at the first-century church at Antioch, the third-largest city in the Roman empire at the time, is a beautiful case study: people coming to faith in Jesus, healthy dedicated leaders, Christians trained to be faithful disciples, and uncommon generosity–all marks of God’s gracious hand at work.

At a pivotal point in his journey, Jesus tells a tale about investments, a returning king, and his subjects–but it’s really about our journey. This story shows us the secret to a life of true joy, fulfillment, and worth.

Just like a mustard seed itself, Jesus’ small parable of the mustard seed discloses a large truth: The Kingdom of God is already here, and new patterns of growth have already begun.