Francis Schaeffer said, “There is nothing uglier than [Christian] orthodoxy without… compassion.” When I reflect on my own lack of compassion toward those with whom I differ or disagree, I confess that it stems from the absence of humility. And ...

Charles Spurgeon described evangelism as “one beggar showing another beggar where they found bread.”While it’s true that once a beggar takes and eats of the bread of life, they are no longer a beggar, but royalty—adopted into the family of King Jesus...

“You are the light of the world.” — Matthew 5:15In addition to calling his disciples the salt of the earth in Matthew 5, Jesus calls them “the light of the world.”For starters, it is important to remember that they/we/believers are not the source of ...

“You are the salt of the earth.” — Jesus, in Matthew 5:13Christian influence in a “post-Christian” world should be the same as in a “pre-Christian” context.As Jesus says in Matthew 5:13, his disciples are “the salt of the earth.” What does this mean?...

Much appreciation to Serge and Jim Lovelady for the opportunity to be a guest on the Grace at the Fray podcast to discuss how discovering (and rediscovering) the grandeur of the gospel changes us.____________________“Prepare to be enlightened, challe...

Of all the topics Jesus addressed in the gospels, the most prominent is the kingdom of God, or kingdom of heaven.Considering that emphasis, we can say that the kingdom of God serves as a thematic, theological umbrella under which everything else is t...

“Ask and it will be given to you.” - Matthew 7:7Prayer is a gift and privilege, not merely a duty or obligation. Through Jesus, we have direct access to speak with and make requests of God as our Abba Father.This privilege is clear in Scripture, such...

“Everything they do is done for people to see.” - Matthew 23:5The Pharisees would have loved social media.The opportunity to carefully curate an idealized version of their life would fit perfectly with Jesus' evaluation in Matthew 23:5, "Everything t...

“Jesus answered, 'Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.'" — John 13:8bYears ago, a church I served on staff hosted a community car wash. Since lots of these events are fundraisers for sports teams or mission trips, we wanted to leverage t...

"In my distress, I called upon the Lord; to my God, I cried for help." — Psalm 18:6aWhen you read the Psalms, one thing that stands out is how often God's people find themselves in distress.The Hebrew word translated distress (צָרָה, tsarah) in Psalm...

"John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” — Mark 1:4As a pastor, I had taught about repentance more times than I could count and assumed I knew what I was talking about. But it was t...

Sadly, I am a consummate excuse-maker.For example, if I’m playing tennis and miss a shot, it is because the sun got in my eyes. If driving and I slam on my brakes, causing my passengers to lunge forward uncomfortably, it is because the car in front o...

In December 1998, NASA launched a spaceship called The Mars Climate Orbiter (MCO). Its primary objective was to collect data on Mars’ climate and weather patterns, serving as a communication relay for upcoming Mars missions. However, shortly after en...

"But God..." — Ephesians 2:4aAs we survey the biblical record, we discover one primary purpose of signs and wonders was to authenticate God’s messengers and to confirm the authority of God’s message. Therefore, it should not surprise us that after th...

“Christ died for the ungodly.” — Romans 5:6Throughout human history, it has been expected that someone convicted of high treason against a king would suffer the consequences for their rebellion.When we apply this principle theologically, we begin to ...