Joe Barnett

He came down at once and welcomed him gladly.           —Luke 19:6 Zacchaeus was perched on a branch in a sycamore tree, hoping to get a look at Jesus, the man everyone was talking about. Jesus spotted him and said, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your […]

I will follow you wherever you go.                       —Luke 9:57 “Follow me,” Jesus said to two fellows. The first agreed—but wanted to wait until his father’s death (Lk 9:59). The second said, “Yes, Lord, I will come, but first let me ask permission of those

Don’t be afraid; just believe.                 —Mark 5:36 Mark 5 reports three miracles that reveal Jesus as hope for the hopeless. They involved a demoniac who was hopelessly insane, a woman who was hopelessly ill, and a father who was hopelessly heartbroken. Neighbors were unable to restrain the

One thing you lack.    —Mark 10:21 For over two decades (1980–2001) the jingle “Be all that you can be” hit a psychological bulls-eye as a recruitment tool, appealing to young people to join the Army and become the best they could be. It brings to mind a young man who breathlessly asked Jesus, “What

Send her away. —Matthew 15:23  “Tell the woman to go away,” they beseeched Jesus. She had come begging for help for her tormented daughter. She’s a Gentile; get her out of here! “We saw a man driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him, because he is not one of us”

What do you want me to do for you?                       —Mark 10:51 Two times in Mark 10 Jesus asked this question: “What do you want me to do for you?” James and John tried to sneak one past him: “Teacher, we want you to do

Early in the morning . . . Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.                                      —Mark 1:35 Before you face your day face your Father. If your goal is

He committed no sin.     —1 Peter 2:22 The Bible says Jesus never sinned, so how could he possibly know what life is like for us? Hebrews 4:15 says he “has been tempted in every way, just as we are.” But how can that be true? It’s true because he felt the full force

You hem me in—behind and before.                    —Psalm 139:5 Candidates for the U.S. Secret Service undergo brutal background checks and intense testing to measure intelligence and physical stamina. Less than one percent of applicants make the cut. Agents that protect the president and other officials are ever-present

In this world you will have trouble.                     —John 16:33 Give up the illusion of a trouble-free life. We want problems to vanish, clouds to lift, giving way to fair weather and sunshine. Every day. That’s not going to happen. Jesus said, “In this world you