Joe Barnett

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.                                            —Mark 1:41 His hand was hideously deformed—a silent sufferer, neither seeking Jesus’ attention, nor asking for his help. But his affliction awakened an ache in […]

Very early in the morning … Jesus got up … and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.                                         —Mark 1:35 A polished violinist was asked, “What is the secret of your success?” “Planned

I am with you always.  —Matthew 28:20 “In this world you will have trouble,” Jesus said. Not “In this world you may have trouble,” but “In this world you will have trouble.” If you’ve been around for a spell you’re saying, “Yep.” But he also made you a promise—a promise that when trouble comes calling,

“I don’t know the man!”  —Matthew 26:72 It was the most painful night of Peter’s life—the night he denied knowing Jesus. Jesus told him he would. Peter said he wouldn’t. He did. But that’s not the end of the story. Peter faced his failure, admitted his sin, repented in tears, and was a fearless and

Rise, let us go! —Matthew 26:46 Crushed with anguish over what he was facing, Jesus stumbled deeper into Gethsemane to pray. “Stay here and keep watch with me,” he implored his three best friends. And three disappointing times he came back to find them sleeping instead of watching. Emotions of sorrow and shame must have

What she has done will also be told, in memory of her.                                        —Matthew 26:13 You know the game. Someone says a word. You respond with the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that

Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.                      —Matthew 25:40 In the final judgment Jesus will say to some, I was hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, imprisoned—and you fed me, befriended me, clothed me, cared

I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.                                       —Matthew 25:35 Abdullah II became king of Jordan in 1999. He occasionally prowled the country in disguise, popping into government offices and hospitals to see how

To one he gave five talents … to another two … to another one … each according to his ability.                             —Matthew 25:15 Do you look at others—whose successes you see and whose failures you don’t—and compare your accomplishments to theirs? Don’t.

You do not know on what day your Lord will come.                                 —Matthew 24:42 “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father …  So you must be