Results
John
Jesus Restores Peter
April 7, 2024
Peter’s failure resonates because we all fail. And yet, we don’t like talking about it. We want to push our failures to the background, but this story brings them to the front. The point is not to tell us how bad we are, but to show us how good God is and how much we need him. God meets us in our failure to restore us.
John
Resurrection and the Gift of Belief
March 31, 2024
On the first Easter, the resurrected Jesus was met with various forms of unbelief. In John 20, Jesus moves toward different types of people in their particular form of unbelief to graciously give them the gift of belief. The unbelief we see in these people is common to all of us, as is our need for the grace of Jesus to help us believe in him.
John
Unexpected Glory
March 24, 2024
As Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the crowds gathered, hoping to see kingly glory. Jesus assured them that glory was coming, but in a form they never would have guessed: they would see the glory of God through the cross of Jesus.
John
Jesus Prays
March 17, 2024
The last thing Jesus does for his disciples before he steps out into the night to go to his arrest is pray for them (and us). He prays for everything his disciples will need to continue his work in the world: Protection, sanctification, and unity. This prayer from Jesus gives us our most intimate glimpse into his heart for his people.
John
Sorrow Into Joy
March 10, 2024
The spiritual reality in which sorrow can turn into joy has everything to do with the presence of God. When we know the Father's loving presence, our joy is made full. This text assures us God can meet us in our confusion, distress, need, and even in our failure.
John
The Spirit of Truth
March 3, 2024
When the disciples heard that Jesus was leaving, and that the world would hate them, their hearts were filled with sorrow. But Jesus said it would be better because the Spirit is coming. How is it better? What would the Spirit do to help them bear witness about Jesus in a hostile world?
John
Hated But Helped
February 25, 2024
If we abide in Christ like branches in a vine, then we will inevitably share some of his experience in the world. Meaning we will face opposition (even hatred) from the world. But he also promises help in the midst of the hatred!
John
Abide in Christ
February 18, 2024
Jesus said the mark of his disciples is that they “bear much fruit.” We want to roll-up our sleeves and make it happen, but the kind of fruit Jesus is talking about comes from being connected to him. If we want to be truly fruitful, we must learn to abide in Christ.
John
Another Helper
February 11, 2024
In the Upper Room with Jesus, on their final night with him before his death, the disciples were filled with anxiety and fear. Jesus tells them (and us) that what they need, the comfort for their troubled hearts, is not a prescription but a person—a person who will come to dwell with them.
John
From Troubled to Trusting
February 4, 2024
The disciples are deeply troubled by what is unfolding in the upper room. So, Jesus comforts them with words about the Father. He calls them to trust in the promises of the Father and the presence of the Father that they have in Jesus.
Mark
Take Up Your Cross
January 12, 2025
Jesus says he must suffer and die, but the disciples can't see it. When we focus on the things of man, we can't see what God is doing. According to Mark 8, seeing Jesus clearly means seeing why he had to die, and seeing why we must die as well.
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Luke
Waiting for the Lord
December 29, 2024
The life of faith is a life of waiting for the Lord. That involves being immersed in God’s story, living with expectancy, and committing to practices that keep us attentive to God.
Matthew
When God Comes to the Bad Guy
December 22, 2024
What happens when God comes to the bad guy in the story, the person controlled by sin? If we want to understand the astonishing reality of Christmas, then we’ve got to understand someone like Herod.
Matthew
When God Comes to the Righteous
December 15, 2024
We often hear about God coming to the spiritual seekers and to the down and out. Joseph’s story shows us what happens when God comes to the good guy. He has to choose: life on his terms or life on God’s terms.
Mark
The Humble Faith of a Gentile Woman
December 8, 2024
When Jesus is approached by a Gentile woman in need, he responds in a way that feels harsh. But looking deeper into this interaction, it teaches us how to come to Jesus and about his unique mission.
Mark
Religion of the Heart
December 1, 2024
In Mark 7, we see two very different approaches to religion. The scribes and Pharisees are focused on the externals of religious devotion. Jesus, meanwhile, pushes beneath appearances to the source of true defilement: the human heart.
Mark
Finding Rest in the Work
November 24, 2024
Our problem runs deeper than having busy lives. We need a rest that only God can give. In this famous story, Jesus reveals himself as the true shepherd who gives us true rest.
Mark
He Came to His Own
November 17, 2024
In this little passage, Jesus came to his own and his own people did not receive him. Why is this account in the Bible and what is God trying to teach us through it?
Mark
Jesus the Warrior King
November 10, 2024
This is the most detailed account of an exorcism in the Bible. It gives us insight into the reality of demonic power, the superior power of Jesus, and the choice we have between the two. The choice is always before us: Is God your life, or is your life your God?
Mark
Who Then Is This?
November 3, 2024
In this familiar story, Jesus calms a storm. But the main point of the story might not be what you think.
Mark
The Parable of the Sower
October 27, 2024
The kingdom of God comes into the world through the Word of God, and bears fruit in those who receive it. Life in the kingdom begins with hearing. Does God’s word stay on the surface of your life or does it take hold of you and change you?
Mark
The Crowds and the Called
October 20, 2024
In these two scenes in Mark 3, we see a contrast between the crowds that had gathered around Jesus and the twelve apostles. As we compare these two groups of people, some defining marks of a follower of Jesus emerge.
Mark
Lord of the Sabbath
October 13, 2024
There has been increasing tension in Mark between Jesus and the religious leaders. By the end of this passage, they are plotting to kill him. What pushes them over the edge are two incidents related to the Sabbath, specifically what Jesus says about the Sabbath and does on the Sabbath.
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Psalms
Rest for the Restless
August 11, 2024
Many of us journey through life at full speed, trying to accomplish big things, setting our sights on achievement and success. David says genuine rest can't be had that way. It comes, instead, as we embrace our limits, rest like a child, and hope in the Lord.
Mark
Take Up Your Cross
January 12, 2025
Jesus says he must suffer and die, but the disciples can't see it. When we focus on the things of man, we can't see what God is doing. According to Mark 8, seeing Jesus clearly means seeing why he had to die, and seeing why we must die as well.
Mark
The Beginning of the Gospel
September 8, 2024
Mark begins the story of Jesus in the wilderness. He is preparing us for a new exodus and a new covenant. If you want to see the real Jesus, you gotta go into the wilderness. It is a place of redemption, repentance, and renewed sonship.
Psalms
Celebrating Community
August 18, 2024
We were made for community. It seems hard to come by, but this psalm assures us that it is possible because of God's blessing and grace through Jesus.
Mark
The Authority of Jesus
September 22, 2024
We generally resist any authority but our own. So, what does it take for people with “authority issues” to come under the Lordship of Jesus? We must see that he has authority over everything, and that he uses his authority for our good.
Galatians
New Creation
November 22, 2020
The gospel is not only the gateway to our life with God. It is also the pathway for our life with him. We are prone to add other things that give us a sense of assurance or belonging, but Jesus plus anything else is a false gospel.
Mark
His Message and His Method
September 15, 2024
As Jesus begins his public ministry in Galilee, Mark immediately shows us the message of Jesus and the method of Jesus. And both of those things are more radical than they seem on the surface.
Psalms
Out of the Depths
July 28, 2024
What do we do with our guilt? Psalm 130 teaches us to cry out to, trust in, and wait for the Lord. With him there is forgiveness, steadfast love, and plentiful redemption.
Psalms
God’s Promises Are Greater
August 4, 2024
The first half of this psalm is a prayer of the people based on David’s oath to God. The second half is filled with promises from God based on God’s oath to David. And as expected, God’s promises are greater than our prayers.
Mark
Son, Your Sins Are Forgiven
September 29, 2024
Four men bring their friend to Jesus, presumably to fix their friend’s biggest problem, his paralysis. But Jesus has an even deeper healing in mind.
Philippians
A Vision for Change
September 1, 2024
We all desire to change. And yet, true and lasting change can be quite difficult to achieve. What we need is a biblical understanding of how change works, which is exactly what we find in Philippians 2.
Mark
He Eats With Sinners
October 6, 2024
No one liked tax collectors, but Jesus befriended them and dined with them. This story teaches us that Jesus draws near to those who know they need him. Whoever thinks he is doing fine will keep him at a distance.