In a world that measures worth in clicks, likes, and views, it’s easy to feel overlooked—like your life doesn’t count unless it’s trending. But JESUS doesn’t call influencers. He calls followers. He’s not looking for viral content—He’s looking for surrendered hearts. The courage of Peter and John in Acts 4:13 wasn’t born from self-confidence or popularity. It came from one thing: they had been with JESUS.
When someone is grieving, it matters less what you say than that you say something. Your presence, not your precision, is what comforts the most.
The cross, a symbol of horror, was the expression of God's love through His Son's atoning sacrifice. The death of Jesus on a cross on that Friday long ago was good for those who believe He died for their sin because Sunday's coming, too.
Whenever we face political turmoil, personal trials, painful tragedies in our lives, we can simply endure them, we can try to escape them, or we can entrust our lives to God through them. The Book of Ruth encourages us to hope in God in hopeless times because our Savior, Redeemer, and Friend, JESUS, is the King of kings.
Like many gifts for Christmas, birthdays, special occasions, God's gift of grace has become expected. We forget that God's grace is a gift - an unnecessary and costly one.
When we try to understand a person's greatness, we often do so by comparison. It’s the same in the Bible, we look back at the pillars of faith: Abraham, Moses, David… By comparison, we understand the importance of these great people. The author of Hebrews pulls out what seems like an obscure comparison to make a significant point. He compares a priest named Melchizedek to Abraham, Moses, and the entire sacrificial system of the Mosaic Law to show how much greater Melchizedek was to all of them. And by further comparison to Melchizedek, JESUS is even greater. In fact, He’s perfect.
The recent global pandemic of COVID-19 or Coronavirus and the need for physical distancing has raised a significant question, "What is the Church?" All of a sudden, the meaning, significance, and purpose of the church has raised some interesting, practical questions. If we can’t meet at a particular place or gather together at a specific … Continue reading Church
Reading thru the Old Testament pentateuch book of Numbers is difficult but not just because of soooo many laws, regulations, and details of ceremonial and personal holiness. Numbers is a tough read because of the conflict and rebellion of good people, God's people, who experienced many miraculous experiences of God's faithfulness (Egyptian plagues, crossing the … Continue reading Numbers
Over Thanksgiving break during my sophomore year of college in 1987, Walt Baker asked me to consider going to Haiti on a 9-week missions trip with him and others the following summer. As a struggling college student, finances were tight to say the least. I anticipated needing to save money and work all summer long … Continue reading Barnabas
One of the greatest, most comforting, and most repeated promises of God in His Word is,“I am with you.” God’s desire is to be with us, live with us, love us, and, as we say today, “do life with us.” In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth as a place to be … Continue reading I AM with You
following Jesus 