Writing to Help You Find and Share the Hope of Jesus
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.Colossians 1:13-14 NOTE: This post was adapted from a sermon I shared for The Fortress's weekly gathering at Harvest Church on June 16, 2021. In Marvel’s … Continue reading The Awe That Only Rescue Can Bring
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kindsJames 1:2 There are many ways Jesus has called his followers to live differently than the rest of the world. Just a few examples include: Live holy lives as our Father in heaven is holy (Matt. 5:48, 1 Peter 1:15), Live for God’s … Continue reading From Facts in Our Heads to Treasure in Our Hearts: God’s Joy-Producing Work In Our Trials
The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him.Proverbs 15:8 Ephesians 5:10 has an important command for those who are following Jesus. It calls us to "discern what is pleasing to the Lord," with the point being that we would then do what pleases him. One thing God … Continue reading “He Likes To Be Asked”: God Is Pleased By Your Prayer
In a previous career, I worked with historic property owners who were looking to restore and maintain their historic buildings. This meant I got a lot of behind-the-scenes tours in many cool, unique old buildings. Occasionally, I’d visit a building that looked fine at distance from the outside. But once I got up close and … Continue reading Self-Sought Holiness Always Crumbles
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”Revelation 5:12 John the Baptist says to the priests and Levites in John 1:26-27, “[A]mong you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I … Continue reading The Worthiness Of Jesus Lived Out For The Unworthy
"As you sent me into the world, So I have sent them into the world."John 17:18 John 13-17 provides us with an intimate look at Jesus’ final meeting with his disciples before his crucifixion. It’s telling that as Jesus prepared the disciples for his departure, he made one thing very clear to them: trials, tribulation, … Continue reading Mission Readiness for Woefully Weak Witnesses: How Jesus Prepares Us To Be Sent
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.John 3:16 In a message on Exodus 14, Pastor Tim Keller once shared how 20th-Century Welsh minister Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones had a simple diagnostic question he would use to help determine where … Continue reading Believe: The Burden-Breaking Call of Jesus
"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life."John 5:39-40 John 5 is an important warning on the danger of religious blindness. The chapter starts alongside the pool of … Continue reading Don’t Miss This: The Danger of Religious Blindness
In the Disney movie The Emperor’s New Groove, the arrogant Emperor Kuzco gets magically transformed into a llama after a failed assassination attempt orchestrated by his administrator Yzma and her right-hand man Kronk. As Yzma and Kronk search for the emperor-turned-llama to finish him off, there’s a funny scene where they visit the home of … Continue reading But God: The Most Crucial Conjunction
“He brought me out into a broad place; he rescued me, because he delighted in me.”Psalm 18:19 Read the others posts in this series - Post #1 Series Intro; Post #2 Pray for Delight; Post #3 Plan for Delight; Post #4 Read With Others Who Delight. Post #5 Know God's Delight. The Delight of Grandparents Last week we … Continue reading Grow Your Delight In God’s Word (Part 5) – Know God’s Delight
A Thrill of Hope 