“For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life...” Matthew 7:14 In a world that celebrates tolerance of all beliefs, Christianity can seem narrow-minded and even offensive. In the context of Scripture, however, narrow-mindedness isn’t a flaw but a focused way of life. Narrow-minded[...]
“Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2 The Bible repeatedly addresses our attitude when it comes to prayer. Of course, we can be completely honest with God because He already knows what's in our hearts and minds. At the same time,[...]
“Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 How is your prayer life? If God said, “Yes” to all the prayers you prayed today, what would you have?[...]
“If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you” Matthew 5:29 How do you deal with sinful habits? You’ve probably never gone so far as to remove the offending body part! We struggle with this passage because we don’t fully comprehend the seriousness[...]
Preaching through the Sermon on the Mount has profoundly affected my thinking about ministry. During this series—The Jesus Agenda—God started working in me with the question, “How do we measure healthy ministry?” In other words, how can you tell a healthy church from an unhealthy one? Even though Jesus doesn’t[...]
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 The pursuit of happiness is the right of every American citizen. But as citizens of God’s kingdom, personal happiness shouldn’t be our greatest goal. That's because chasing the American dream[...]
“For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20 When most of us think about living up to God’s standard, we tend to think about a list of do’s and don’ts. We make a checklist.[...]
“Let your gentle spirit be known to all men…” Philippians 4:5 More people are becoming hostile and confrontational these days. Consequently, psychologists have flooded bookstores and the internet with advice on how to talk with angry people. But we need to be careful that the advice we follow doesn’t[...]
“Because of the littleness of your faith” Matthew 17:20 Have you ever wondered why you don’t have more strength or power in your spiritual life? Jesus’ disciples certainly did. After they failed to deliver a boy from demon possession they asked Jesus, “Why could we not drive it out?”[...]