CoM Articles

Matthew 13 provides eight parables (that is, stories) dealing with the kingdom of heaven. Though often over-complicated, the kingdom of heaven served as Jesus’ main analogy for God’s rule and reign in a person’s life. With the clarity of a prophet of old, Jesus knew that while the God of Israel was sovereign over all […]

“I found Abraham’s wall,” he explained. He was a seasoned archaeologist working for the Israel Antiquities Authority and a guest lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel. I don’t remember what language he was speaking, Hebrew or English? Wait, did he say wall or well? I don’t know. What I do remember is

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, angels announced the Messiah’s birth to local shepherds (Luke 2:8-14). The shepherds then went to Bethlehem to see the baby for themselves, telling Mary and Joseph what the angels had said. For Mary, the news from the shepherds confirmed what she had been told previously about the identity of

A Season of Light in the Darkest Time As the days grow shorter and the nights lengthen, we find ourselves in the darkest time of the year. Yet, it’s precisely during this season that the world celebrates two profound festivals of light: Christmas and Hanukkah. These celebrations are not merely about the physical illumination of

Though my high school did not have any tradition like ‘Senior Superlatives’ where classmates anonymously offered their true—and perhaps petty—feelings about one another, I have lived the American experience long enough to understand how it works. Being voted “Most Likely to Be Late for His/Her Own Wedding” may be a humorous slight, but being dubbed

In recent years “Mars Hill” has become a popular name for American churches, including some well-known megachurches. Mars Hill is the place in Athens, Greece, where the apostle Paul once addressed an assembly of leaders, as recorded in Acts 17. Churches adopting this name aspire to communicate the Gospel to the world as effectively as

As you may recall, last week’s article ended with a cliffhang- er. God’s pres- ence occupied the biblical tab- ernacle but no one could approach him. The book of Leviticus begins with God calling to Moses telling him to come near. He then gives details instructing how. Please open your Bible and read Leviticus chapters

Before I begin, I’d like you to grab your Bible and read all of the last chapter (chapter 40) of the book of Exodus. There is a rather sur- prising end- ing to the final chapter of this book. The book ends with a cliffhanger. The good news is that all the work of building

  The Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, is a significant biblical festival, celebrated with immense joy and reverence. It commemorates the Israelites’ years in the wilderness, when they lived in temporary shelters known as booths, (Hebrew sukkot, singular sukkah). The road to Sukkot winds through the season of repentance, progressing through Rosh Hashanah, when the

The story of God always involves redemption and grace, and the biblical calendar reminds us of this wonderful truth each fall. Elul is the twelfth month on the Hebrew calendar and is distinguished as a time of teshuvah meaning “returning” or “repentance.” This month serves as spiritual preparation for the upcoming high holy days of