In preparation for Jesus' death, Mary gives Jesus an extravagant gift. In doing so, she teaches us a few things about worship.

Romans 12:2 teaches us that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. The question is: How do we renew our minds? In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul tells us that we are transformed by beholding Jesus. Now the question becomes: How do we behold Jesus?

The response to Lazarus being raised from the dead wasn't exactly what one would expect. Some believed in Jesus, but others didn't. In fact, from this time on the religious leaders of Jerusalem plotted to kill Jesus.

God wants His people to not conform to the pattern of this world, but that's not all He wants. He wants us to be transformed from the inside out.

Paul went through a storm that left him shipwrecked on an island. If that's not enough, he was then bitten by a deadly poisonous snake. However, Paul simply shook the snake off into the fire and went about his business. Paul's ordeal teaches us some important lessons for when we're going through storms in life.

One of Jesus' close friends, Lazarus, became very ill. Lazarus' sisters sent word to Jesus that his dear friend was deathly ill, but Jesus delayed for two days before going to Lazarus' aid. During this time, Lazarus died and his sisters faced a crisis of faith. For Jesus, however, it was an opportunity to show the world that He has power over death.