It was Thanksgiving Day, 2009. I sat at the overflowing dinner table with my family: parents, sisters and their spouses, young nephews, and 1-year-old niece. Before digging into turkey and mashed potatoes, we sang the Doxology together: Praise God from whom all blessings flow …. Singing at the table was not a tradition for us. That year, it was a special …
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“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. (Matthew 27:22) The most important question you will ever answer is, What will you do with Jesus? It is not arbitrary; an answer must always be given. This question comes to everyone to answer of their own free will. Acceptance or rejection. How we answer defines …
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Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” (John 21:15) Just before His crucifixion, Jesus spent some final, tender moments with His disciples. He washed their feet and then ate dinner with them during what is known as the Last Supper. In that warm, bonding atmosphere, Jesus told Peter he would soon deny Him. Not …
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You’re heard the proverbial question, “If you could go back in time, what would you tell your younger self?” Our minds flash back to that stupid mistake (or series of mistakes) we made as teenagers. Or we think of the first marriage. Or the second one. Or the third one. We may feel that residual pang of regret, even if …
Read More »When Jesus saw him lying there … he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6) Picture yourself walking through a hospital, surrounded by sick, hurting and scared people. Some have been recently admitted; others have been there days, possibly weeks. Now imagine walking up to someone who has been there for 38 years and asking him, “Hey, …
Read More »A few months ago someone said something about me that was untrue. I won’t elaborate. I’ll just say that it really stung; it kind of grated on me for a while. The thing that bothered me most was I didn’t understand why it was bothering me so much! As offenses go, it was rather minor. Even so, for some reason …
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He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40) Who is foolish enough to plan a sailing trip knowing a storm is headed straight for him? Well, Jesus did (Mark 4:35-41). Of course, it makes a big difference when you know you will safely arrive at your intended destination in spite …
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Blindsided, flattened as if by a freight train, and covered in toxic slime. Ever felt like that? Chances are, each one of you has been mistreated so badly at some point in your life that you were left dumbfounded. Interactions with abusive (or just plain mean) people can leave you feeling as though you’re covered in a funky, debilitating slime. …
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And the word of the Lord came to him: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (I Kings 19:9) In addition to asking about our past, God often questions the present. It is one thing to agree with God about past failures; it is quite another to discuss my present course of action. Confessing to a mistake is admission of something I …
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What if our greatest mistakes in life lead to our most abundant blessings? Major screw-up = amazing outcome. Wouldn’t that be awesome? We have all experienced God’s redemptive power upon accepting Him as Lord of our lives. But it doesn’t stop there. God can and will redeem and bring greatness from our mistakes when we submit them to Him and let …
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Single Matters Magazine with Jill Monaco Ministries Christian singles discuss the matters of life, relationships, singleness and faith
