First Love

“We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19, NASB).” When Jesus was born, so many looked into the eyes of this newborn and saw the love of God in the flesh staring back at them. In that moment God’s love for his people was evident. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling […]

A Path of Peace

To prepare a way for Christ Jesus, for the Messiah. It was John’s calling as told by his father Zachariah in Luke 1:76: “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him (NIV).” It is our calling […]

Crossing Paths in the Pursuit of Christ

I have always been intrigued by the encounter between Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-39. Here we have two people seeking Christ. One is seeking to serve Christ, the other is seeking to find Christ. It’s an instructive, God-ordained encounter that should encourage us to follow the prompting of the Spirit. It also […]

Seeding the Gospel in Small Ways

A friend of mine has been in ministry for more than 40 years. Recently we were together and I relished hearing him tell about how several people he impacted with his ministry over the decades were now coming together to create a new ministry that he would lead. It reminded me of the parable of […]

Building an Enduring Faith

In Mark 13:11 Jesus tells us not to worry about what to say when we are brought to trial, instead we should let the Spirit of God guide our words. In a world full of scripted remarks and prepared statements, it is hard to think about going into a trial without proper preparation. Yet I […]

Join the Crowd or Stand Your Ground

In a world that so often elevates self, Jesus modeled selfless devotion to God. Through his death and resurrection, he brought us salvation from sin.

Straining for Safe Passage

Jesus is showing them a different way to navigate rough waters. It’s a frightening thing to acknowledge him as the son of God — to accept him as the Messiah and let him into your boat.

Trust and Obey the GPS?

“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way” might remind you of an old church hymn, but for me it also sums up my struggle with the GPS on my phone. It’s one thing to trust the GPS to navigate me to my destination, but a very different thing to actually obey its directions. When […]

Lighting the Deepest Darkest Moments in Life

It is hard for us to comprehend what the earth was like before God created light. In his book Riding Rockets, Space Shuttle astronaut Mike Mullane described how from space, the earth is “framed in a pre-Genesis black.” He goes on to explain: “There is no blackness on Earth to compare… not the blackest night, […]

Trusting the Sovereignty of God

I must trust that God has a purpose for delineating between mercy and wrath and that only he is qualified to judge between the two. I must admit I am severely unqualified to judge why some graciously receive Christ and others reject him.