This verse serves as more than just a warning about greed; it also addresses the issues of authority and the temptation to pursue worldly desires. And I want you to keep that in mind as we visit some of those Old Testament passages of rejection.

Many of you know that I have a chronic illness, and I know many of you are battling your own chronic illnesses. Many of you have battled or are battling cancer or another type of illness or infirmity. Some of us have lost family or friends to devastating illness, that seemed so unfair, especially if the one suffering was a follower of Jesus. Illness is everywhere, a symptom of the brokenness of this world; a result of the curse in Genesis. Often, this reality can feel at odds

We all know Jesus had twelve close disciples, while many other people followed Him. The 12 are the disciples we see most frequently in Scripture, and who primarily make up the apostles, but among that 12, there was an even smaller group. This group was with Him from the beginning until the bittersweet end—they were there in the garden the night He was taken, and later they were with Him on the mountain the day He ascended. This inner circle consisted of Simon Peter, James, an