Will Vaus

In the town of Stepanavan, Armenia, there is a woman whom everyone calls “Palasan’s Wife”. She has her own name, of course, but townspeople call her by her husband’s name to show her great honor.   When the devastating 1988 earthquake struck Armenia, it was nearly noon, and Palasan was at work. He rushed to the elementary school where his son was a student. The façade was already crumbling, but he entered the building and began pushing children outside to safety. After Palasan had managed to help twenty-eight children out, an aftershock hit that completely collapsed the school building and killed him.   So, the people of Stapanavan honor his memory and his young widow by calling her Palasan’s wife.   Sometimes a person’s greatest honor is not who he or she  is  but to whom he or she  is related . The highest honor of any Christian is to be called a disciple of Jesus Christ, the One who laid down his life for us. [1]   Today we are going to examine six ...

Listen for God’s word to you from Colossians 1:3-14… We always thank God,   the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,   because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope   stored up for you in heaven   and about which you have already heard in the true message   of the gospel   that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit   and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.   You learned it from Epaphras,   our dear fellow servant,   who is a faithful minister   of Christ on our   behalf,   and who also told us of your love in the Spirit. For this reason, since the day we heard about you,   we have not stopped praying for you.   We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will throu...

  Listen for God’s word to you from Galatians 6:11-18…   See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand! Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which  the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to   the Israel of God. From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.   To...