When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to this?… After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.” (John 6:60, 68) These are two of the saddest verses in the Bible. This section of the book of John is the […]

In the early chapters of John, Jesus is still in the beginning of his public ministry. His followers are growing; his fame is building. His ministry will eventually spread though beyond his death and explode around the world to include people from every tribe, tongue, and nation. And we as Christians are entrusted with continuing […]

Jesus lifted his eyes; on the horizon, he saw an enormous crowd make its way toward him, like a tidal wave determined to breach the seawall. With his gaze focused on the mass of people, he said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat” (John 6:5)? That day, Jesus […]

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24). It’s a worthy goal. An extraordinary aspiration. A […]

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are at the heart of the Christian gospel, and Good Friday and Easter are two of the most significant celebrations of the Christian year. Lent is a 40-day season of preparation and repentance during which we anticipate Good Friday and Easter. Just as we carefully prepare for big […]

The word “resolution” betrays itself right from the start. It sounds like a new beginning, but it promises an end — a “resolving” of things that are broken — the hope of being perfect and finished — the assurance that we can bring conclusion to ourselves. In Colossians 2:2, Paul makes a resolution for the […]

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Philippians 4:6) When I am anxious about my ministry being useless and empty, I fight unbelief with the promise of Isaiah 55:11. “So shall my word be which goes forth from my mouth; it […]

Gracious and merciful God, We confess that although we willingly declare that “Jesus is King,” we often fail to place him as first priority in our lives. Many times we fail to represent and demonstrate his love and mercy to our neighbors, friends, family, or coworkers. We seldom steward our time or our gifts to […]

How to talk to God. How do you sum this up in a blog post? Or even a four-week message series? The impossibility of such an answer leaves me somewhere between frozen and grateful. If talking to God looked the same for everyone, every time then I would most certainly treat it as another box […]

Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9) The meaning of the resurrection is that God is for us. He aims to close ranks with us. He aims to overcome all our sense of abandonment […]