Remember what He is telling you here. When the pressure is on, when the chips are down, when it seems that there is no hope, no one can take my hope from me because my hope is not in this world. My hope is Jesus. Not just in Jesus. My hope IS Jesus.
Friday, September 11, 2026
Friday, September 04, 2026
Context is King
When it comes to studying the scripture, context is king. In
John 1:10, you have three instances of the word “world” used in this same
verse. And each time it’s the same Greek word, “Kosmos” underlying it. But each
mention means something different. Jesus was a person on the Earth. And Jesus
was the one who made the Earth. But the people of the Earth did not recognize
him for who he was.
Friday, August 28, 2026
Don’t Trust the Holy Spirit?
I do trust the Holy Spirit. I just don’t trust your
interpretation of the Holy Spirit sometimes.
Friday, August 21, 2026
When I Have Jesus
When I have Jesus, I have something money can't buy, poverty
can't lose, no one can steal, death can't stop, the devil can't touch, and I
can't mess up. I have something success can't secure. Failure can't forfeit.
Popularity can't gain. Loneliness can't lessen. Winning can't win. Losing can't
lose. Demons can't deny. People can't produce. Fear can't conquer. Politics
can't control. Friends can't fracture. Enemies can't erase. The boss can't
break. Taxes can't take. Suffering can't suffocate. Affliction can't eliminate.
All the noise of the world can't drown out. And all the evil in the universe
can't keep down. I can win it all or lose it all. But Jesus is still my all in
all.
Friday, August 14, 2026
The Success Problem
Life is full of people who have a great gift. And they use
it to achieve a level of success. It seems like they’re living a blessed life.
But eventually it all comes crashing down. And some of them get rediscovered,
and get another chance. And they start to use their gift again. And it starts
to work for them again. But they fall right back down again.
Why do people with such great gifts keep falling down? Because if your character doesn’t grow with your gift, that gift will crush you. Their problem isn’t a lack of success. Their problem IS success.
In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus said that doing what he says is like building your house on a rock. And when the storms come, the house doesn’t fall. But not doing what he says is like building your house on sand. And when the storms come, the house comes crashing down. You see, everyone has storms in their life. But not everyone’s life is built on a firm foundation.
Thursday, August 06, 2026
Remember God’s Heart
1 John 3:20 says – Whenever our heart condemns us, God is
greater than our heart, and he knows everything. When John says that God is
greater than your heart, he’s telling you that God is greater than your
desires, your emotions, and your will. It was God’s will to baptize you into
Christ. It was God who justified you, declared you righteous based on the merits
of Jesus Christ. When you remember your past sins, however awful they may be,
you should not despair, but trust that God is greater than your past. When your
inner feelings weigh you down with guilt, God knows your full reality, and your
redemption. And His mercy and grace are greater than your self-doubt. When you
fear your own heart, remember God’s heart!
Friday, July 31, 2026
No Two Ways About It
You can’t walk the way of the world and the way of Jesus at
the same time. Because they are going in two different directions.
Friday, July 24, 2026
Busy Avoiding God
People
want goals put in front of them, something to strive for, so that they aren’t
having to come face-to-face with the futility of their lives. Even people in
the church are pushed this way. You’ve got to go, go, go, so we can reach the
goal. But what happens after we reach the goal? Do we finally find rest? No! We
find futility once again. And so, we need another goal in front of us. I’ve
seen this happen with people who are over 100 years old. And I understand it,
but I think most people don’t understand it. Because if you see futility, you
feel desperation. And then what?
I’m not saying goals are wrong. I’m saying we can’t let goals become God. And for many people their goals are their gods. It’s the center of their lives, what drives them, motivates them, identifies them. They don’t realize the idolatry in this because they’re replacing what only God can give, which is everlasting, with what goals give, which is temporal. And they do these things in the name of God and don’t realize that what’s really at the center of their lives is themselves. And their desire for identity and to remove futility. Instead of submitting to God and finding rest in him.
In the OT mindset, there was a direct link between idolatry and futility. Because worshiping those manmade idols was worthless and wasteful. It was empty, foolish, and mindless. It meant nothing in the end, but destruction. And in Ephesians 4, Paul is saying that a futile mind leads to a futile life. And people run away from the futility by running into activity. Because in their heart they know that they can’t face the truth without having to change the way they live. And they don’t want to. So, they stay busy avoiding God. Even in the name of serving God.
Many churches are full of programs, projects, events, campaigns, and goals to achieve. Sometimes they lump it all together and call it vision casting. And they may do it in the name of serving the community and Christ. But it can serve to sever some people from the reality of their futility. Because they’re busy in the church life, so they think they’re good with God.
And think of the end of the Sermon on the Mount. People tell Jesus that they did this and this and this for you, and we were involved in that and that and that, in your name. And Jesus says depart from me I don’t know you. And part of what he means is that you don’t know me. In the name of serving God, you can still serve an idol, because you’re still running away from the reality of your futility. You haven’t actually put Jesus in the center of your life, you have worshiped an idol, thinking it was him. But it was just you.
Friday, July 17, 2026
Change the World Right Now
I can change the world right now! And so can you. You can
help me. The more people do what I’m going to say, the more the world would
change. And even if it was just me and you, it would change our world. Are you
ready? Here it is: We need to spend less time fighting what we think are other
people’s sins, and more time fighting our own sins. We need to spend less time fighting what we think are other
people’s sins, and more time fighting our own sins.
Friday, July 10, 2026
Knowing God’s Presence
In Hebrews 13:5, God says, “I will never leave you nor
forsake you.” Many Christians take that promise as a means of comfort. But
we should also take it as a means of conviction. And a means of courage.
Hear what God is saying to you when he says I’ll never leave you or forsake you. Comfort – He loves you, he feels your pain, and he’s not leaving you. Conviction – He guides you to come towards him, not towards sin. Courage – He knows your situation, and he is with you to help you.
You can know a lot of facts about God. You can know a lot of theology. Those are good things to learn. But you should also learn to nurture the sense of living Coram Deo – which means “before the face of God,” or “in God’s presence.” Always, at all times, in all places, and all situations, God sees you, knows you, and loves you. Knowing God’s presence will change your life.
Friday, July 03, 2026
He Gets Us. Do We Get Him?
I’m sure you’ve seen the ads on commercials, billboards, or
the Internet, that says “He gets us.” And it means that Jesus gets us. The ad
shows people who are misfits, outcast, downtrodden, marginalized, and
oppressed. And the idea is that Jesus knows what that’s like and what you’re
going through. And that’s true. But that’s not the whole message. Because
there’s more to it than just that. I mean, are we just misfits in society? Or
are we also defiant rebels against God? And so yes, Jesus gets us. He
understands us and what we’re up against. But he doesn’t just get us. He wants
to take us and make us into someone that understands him. Yes, Jesus gets you.
But do you get him?
Friday, June 26, 2026
True or Transactional Love?
In John chapter 13, at the Last Supper of Jesus and his
disciples before Christ went to the cross, he washed his disciple’s feet. And
in vs.14-15, Jesus said – If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your
feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an
example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
Jesus wasn’t merely speaking about washing people’s physical feet. And he wasn’t saying to only wash the feet of those who are your closest companions. Jesus was giving an example of love. It wasn’t a transactional kind of love. It was love that gave without expectations of reciprocity. He served their need without asking to them to serve his need. Jesus wasn’t giving them something to them in order to get something from them.
His motivation wasn’t personal gain. His motivation was love. True love, not transactional love. And that’s where the rest of us often struggle. We serve, maybe even sacrificially, but we look for something in return. Recognition from those we help, being noticed by others who see our good deeds, praise from people who say we live right, whatever benefit we might get that leads somewhere for me. We instinctively see love as an exchange, and we use love as a trade for something else.
But that’s not what Jesus did, or said for us to do. In fact, Jesus didn’t ask for them to wash his feet. And he washed the feet of those who were about to fail him on his way to the cross. Including Peter, who denied him. And Judas, who betrayed him. Jesus knew this. The disciples had nothing that they could give Jesus in return for what he was going to do for them. And us. This is why we sing, “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling.”
Think about a loved one you served just because you loved
them. With no expectation of them “paying you back.” Like changing the diaper
of a small child. Or giving to someone in need who you’ll never see again. It
has happened in your life. But if you really think about it, it’s probably a
lot less frequent that you might have thought at first.
So, is there someone you’re serving that can’t pay you back? When we care for someone without looking for an earthly return, we are laying up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:20). We are following the new commandment of the new covenant.
In John 13:34-35, Jesus said – A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. This is what we know as “the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).” It is what Jesus’s brother James called, “The royal law (James 2:8).” It is the law of love (Romans 13:8-10 / Galatians 5:13-14).
That’s the evidence of your discipleship – a love that is true, not simply transactional. A love that serves even when it’s not seen. A love that gives even when it doesn’t get. A love that counts the cost as worth it for Christ.
The Apostle Paul said the goal of our teaching is love – The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5). Has your love reached the “point of no return” with someone? Where you eventually gave up on them because you didn’t get back from them?
No one washed Jesus’ feet. He washed their feet and said they ought to do the same for each other. But then there is still a possible transactional case here because for the disciples, and maybe especially for us today, washing other’s feet could become “I’ll wash your feet if and when you’ll wash mine.” But the disciples had another example, from someone other than Jesus, only a few days before this supper, which demonstrated what Jesus said before he even said it.
You see, there was another supper before the Last Supper. And someone DID wash Jesus’ feet. And it cost her plenty. But she did it with no other motivation but love for the Lord.
In John chapter 12, Mary of Bethany took a pound of expensive ointment…and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. Judas protested, knowing that the money from the ointment could have gone into his pockets. His transactional heart was exposed. He didn’t have gratitude, he had greed. But Jesus said leave her alone. And speaking of the same event, Matthew 26:13, Jesus says – Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.
Mary wasn’t being transactional. She was giving worship and love, and Jesus says this will be remembered. If we know Jesus, we should follow Jesus. We are not burdened by having to fulfill all sorts of exacting rules and standards. We are called to fulfill the commandment of Christ, the law of love. If you want to wash the feet of others, if you want to show Jesus’ love so that people will glorify God, if you want to know Christ in a deeper, more fulfilling way, go and do likewise. Don’t demand that people help you in the way you want to be helped, or you’ll say they are unloving. Instead, serve people with true love, not simply transactional love. A love that serves even when it’s not seen. A love that gives even when it doesn’t get. A love that counts the cost as worth it for Christ. Amen.
Friday, June 19, 2026
Help Me or Else
Help me in the way that I want to be helped. And if you
don’t help me in the way that I want to be helped, I won’t be helped. And then
I’ll blame YOU for not helping me.
Loving people means serving people. But it is not loving for people to demand that you must serve them in the way that they want, otherwise they’ll say you aren’t loving them.
Friday, June 12, 2026
Friday, June 05, 2026
Friday, May 29, 2026
Jesus Didn’t Buy God’s Love
Christ did not come to buy the Father’s love FOR us. He came
as a gift of the Father’s love TO us.
Friday, May 22, 2026
Friday, May 15, 2026
Friday, May 08, 2026
Friday, May 01, 2026
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