Help for those who are discouraged and losing heart. — “Ask and it will be given to you.” — Matthew 7:7 Prayer 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 as Ephesians 2:18 and Hebrews 4:16. Ephesians 2:18, For through him we both…

“Jesus answered, ‘Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.’” — John 13:8b Years 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 the concept of free, setting us apart from the typical Saturday morning “we’ll serve you if you pay us” car…

4 Ways to Diagnose and Dismantle the Burden — “Everything they do is done for people to see.” — Matthew 23:5 The 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 they do is done for people to see.” If you had asked someone in this sect of religious Jews during the period of Jesus’ earthly ministry about their life’s…

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 of me stopped irresponsibly quickly. I was just responding…

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 entering Martian orbit in September 1999, the orbiter burned up in the…

Does God still perform miracles? — “But God…” — Ephesians 2:4a As 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 the Bible was complete with the death of the final apostle near the end…

The message of the gospel is the most awe-inspiring, pay-attention-to-this, viral news story ever released upon the planet. — “Christ died for the ungodly.” — Romans 5:6 Throughout 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 understand that sin is nothing less than treason. Willful rebellion of the most sinister nature. Moral defiance.

What if I could trust the Father the way my children trusted me? — “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” — Mark 4:41b Gripping the Wheel To this day, it ranks as one of the very worst storms I’ve encountered. At the time, my family lived in Greenwood, Mississippi, about an hour north of my in-law’s home near Yazoo City. After visiting them for the day, we drove back to Greenwood up Highway 49, a rural…

Get it today for 30% off. Hello friends, My new book, Galatians: Navigating Life in View of the Cross, is now available from New Growth Press. 👉 Download a free sample. 👉 Order from New Growth Press at 30% off today. 👉 Order on Amazon. But what if you’ve studied Galatians before? Why a new study? Since we continuously get pulled…