Look Beyond the Suffering

As a prophet, Jesus reveals to us the will of God for our salvation. In the Parable of the Weeds (Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43), Jesus helps us make sense of His sometimes-cryptic language found throughout His parables. We know that the Lord Jesus often employed parables, or visual stories with one big idea, to teach. In … More Look Beyond the Suffering

Where Are You Headed?

The Lord Jesus Christ said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matt. 7:13-14 … More Where Are You Headed?

A Family Prayer

Jesus wants His disciples to know how to pray. So often people struggle to pray because they think God demands a select vocabulary in order for prayer to be acceptable. But what Jesus wants His disciples to know is that prayer is between a person and the true God. Jesus desires for us to understand … More A Family Prayer

The Last Will Be First

In Matthew 20:1-16, the Lord Jesus presents a parable that is still part of his response to the Apostle Peter’s question, “What then will we have ?” (Matt. 19:27 ESV) All of this is framed within the context of the rich young ruler who clung to his earthly comforts rather than to Christ. Now this … More The Last Will Be First

Lord, Have Mercy

Hymnals are such wonderful tools. In a simple book, we have a wealth of wisdom contained in song form. They can connect us to our family history as a Church. If they are designed appropriately, they reflect the theology and prayers of the people. One such hymn is “Amazing Grace” by puritan pastor John Newton. … More Lord, Have Mercy

Should We Tithe?

As a child, my parents taught me to tithe. The word tithe simply means “tenth”. And so, I was trained to give God ten percent of what I earned because it all belongs to Him, and that this giving was an act of worship. My wife and I practice this, and we are training our … More Should We Tithe?

Love Wholeheartedly

The Pharisees were no quitters. In their concern to maintain power and the status quo of the day, they constantly assaulted Christ. Every attempt to belittle the Lord Jesus had resulted in the Pharisees utter failure. Yet, their inability to walk away from spiritual debates with Christ led them to one more great exchange. The … More Love Wholeheartedly

Judge Me

Jesus desires for none of His disciples to be hypocrites. Jesus in the latter portion of His Sermon on the Mount shifts His focus so that His disciples’ eyes can be opened to the nature of God, of His justice, our hidden sin, our hypocritical ways and the solution to it all. In what is … More Judge Me