Category: Bible Study

“Encourage one another daily while it is still ‘today,’ so that no one grows hardened by the deceit of sin.” –Hebrews 3:13 If we don’t get regular, even daily, encouragement, we may grow hardened by the deceit of sin and of the culture of death (Heb 3:13). Encouragement often will not find us if we don’t try to find it. Many of us miss the opportunity to receive or give encouragement. Here are some ways we can pursue and find encouragement: We need to place ourselves in a position to receive encouragement, for example, by not skipping Mass (Heb 10:25)....

“Jesus said to them, ‘Come after Me; I will make you fishers of men.’ ” –Mark 1:17 Have you gone fishing yet this year? The Lord wants you to fish for men and women every day. Fishing as Jesus knew it was more a matter of repeated effort than skill. Fishers needed skill to know where and when to fish, but mostly it took just plain hard work. Fishing in Jesus’ day had nothing to do with bait, reels, or poles. Fishing was simply throwing a heavy net into the sea and dragging it back. The more times they cast...

“Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan.” –Mark 1:9 At the Jordan river, God told Joshua: “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know I am with you” (Jos 3:7). Then Joshua led the Israelites across the Jordan river into the land of promise (Jos 3:14ff). Once in the promised land, the Israelites “ate their fill; when filled, they became proud of heart and forgot” God (Hos 13:6). In the same Jordan river, Jesus, the new Joshua, was baptized. When Jesus rose out of the waters...