Last week, we remembered that our Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit so that we might become His living, breathing temple! Today, we remember that He didn’t simply send the Holy Spirit for us to have the resurrected life, but that by the Holy Spirit, we might live the resurrected life! What that means is that we not only live in the assurance and peace that His Spirit brings us, but we also live in obedience to the Risen Christ! Said plainly, living the resurrected life means living our lives in an...
May 26, 2024•32 min
Today is Pentecost - when we celebrate what we sometimes call “The Advent of the Holy Spirit.” While that’s true and an accurate portrayal of what happened two millennia ago, it’s important to see that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us in order that we could truly and fully live the resurrected life in Him! In and through the Holy Spirit, we’re brought to faith in the Resurrected Christ, and in and through the Holy Spirit, we’re also empowered to embrace the resurrected life given through Him!...
May 19, 2024•21 min
Today is Pentecost - when we celebrate what we sometimes call “The Advent of the Holy Spirit.” While that’s true and an accurate portrayal of what happened two millennia ago, it’s important to see that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to us in order that we could truly and fully live the resurrected life in Him! In and through the Holy Spirit, we’re brought to faith in the Resurrected Christ, and in and through the Holy Spirit, we’re also empowered to embrace the resurrected life given through Him!...
May 19, 2024•26 min
Have you ever looked at our world and wondered if we’ve collectively lost our minds? As you hear the news, read the posts, and check the internet, our world seems to be spinning out of control and doing so more every single day! Living the resurrected life in and through Christ in an upside-down world can be difficult at best! And the “badder news”? It’s only going to get worse as we approach that Day when Jesus returns for us! Wait…what? But today, we remember that in the midst of the chaos of ...
May 12, 2024•30 min
Have you ever looked at our world and wondered if we’ve collectively lost our minds? As you hear the news, read the posts, and check the internet, our world seems to be spinning out of control and doing so more every single day! Living the resurrected life in and through Christ in an upside-down world can be difficult at best! And the “badder news”? It’s only going to get worse as we approach that Day when Jesus returns for us! Wait…what? But today, we remember that in the midst of the chaos of ...
May 12, 2024•27 min
Doubt is one of those very human traits that can actually be helpful when we’re unsure about the truth of a claim or the veracity of an offer, but on the flip side, it can also move us to question the truth of our faith. In fact, it can cause us to question the truth of Christ’s resurrection and, along with it, also cause us to question the truth of our own resurrected life! But you can rest assured in your heart of hearts that Christ rose from the dead for you! Jesus’ resurrection is a historic...
May 05, 2024•32 min
May 05, 2024•4 min
Doubt is one of those very human traits that can actually be helpful when we’re unsure about the truth of a claim or the veracity of an offer, but on the flip side, it can also move us to question the truth of our faith. In fact, it can cause us to question the truth of Christ’s resurrection and, along with it, also cause us to question the truth of our own resurrected life! But you can rest assured in your heart of hearts that Christ rose from the dead for you! Jesus’ resurrection is a historic...
May 05, 2024•26 min
May 03, 2024•32 min
When is our resurrected life the most difficult to embrace? I think we’d all say, “When someone we love and care for dies.” When we want to trust in God and believe He’s got a plan, but indeed, of all the challenges to living a resurrected life in Christ, facing the death of a loved one is the biggest challenge of all. And yet, it’s not just a big challenge, living the resurrected life amid death is also a big blessing! Our resurrected life means we worship a living Lord! We worship the Lord who...
Apr 28, 2024•29 min
Apr 28, 2024•3 min
When is our resurrected life the most difficult to embrace? I think we’d all say, “When someone we love and care for dies.” When we want to trust in God and believe He’s got a plan, but indeed, of all the challenges to living a resurrected life in Christ, facing the death of a loved one is the biggest challenge of all. And yet, it’s not just a big challenge, living the resurrected life amid death is also a big blessing! Our resurrected life means we worship a living Lord! We worship the Lord who...
Apr 28, 2024•27 min
The Bible gives us an important reminder in 2 Timothy 3:12 when it says, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Living the resurrected life in and through the Risen Christ, that’s not what you wanted to hear, right? But it’s true. If you take a stand on God’s Word and are sold out for the Risen Jesus…you will be persecuted, people will oppose you. They won’t like the resurrected life and resurrected lifestyle the Bible proposes. They won’t like the excl...
Apr 21, 2024•33 min
The Bible gives us an important reminder in 2 Timothy 3:12 when it says, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Living the resurrected life in and through the Risen Christ, that’s not what you wanted to hear, right? But it’s true. If you take a stand on God’s Word and are sold out for the Risen Jesus…you will be persecuted, people will oppose you. They won’t like the resurrected life and resurrected lifestyle the Bible proposes. They won’t like the excl...
Apr 21, 2024•29 min
Apr 21, 2024•3 min
Unfortunately, when we are brought to faith in Jesus, when we’re given the resurrected life through Him, we nonetheless retain our sinful human nature! Baptism into Christ and into His death and resurrection takes away the guilt of our sin, but it doesn’t take away our sin. We will be sinners until we aren’t, and that happens only when we die or Jesus returns. As a result, we will stumble and fall in this lifetime while we’re living in and through the resurrected Jesus. We will make mistakes and...
Apr 14, 2024•25 min
Apr 14, 2024•3 min
Unfortunately, when we are brought to faith in Jesus, when we’re given the resurrected life through Him, we nonetheless retain our sinful human nature! Baptism into Christ and into His death and resurrection takes away the guilt of our sin, but it doesn’t take away our sin. We will be sinners until we aren’t, and that happens only when we die or Jesus returns. As a result, we will stumble and fall in this lifetime while we’re living in and through the resurrected Jesus. We will make mistakes and...
Apr 14, 2024•28 min
Apr 12, 2024•27 min
Mar 31, 2024•26 min
Mar 31, 2024•25 min
Mar 28, 2024•26 min
Mar 24, 2024•4 min
The Israelites are headed around the land of Edom and are growing impatient, so they again start to speak against God and Moses. The root of all sin is pride, which is an inflated sense of self. The Israelites had started looking to themselves, and this led them into many different forms of sin. God needed to get their eyes back on Him, and He did so by sending venomous snakes as a punishment for their disobedience. This same venom of sin also runs in our veins, and this weekend, we repent of ho...
Mar 24, 2024•23 min
The Israelites are headed around the land of Edom and are growing impatient, so they again start to speak against God and Moses. The root of all sin is pride, which is an inflated sense of self. The Israelites had started looking to themselves, and this led them into many different forms of sin. God needed to get their eyes back on Him, and He did so by sending venomous snakes as a punishment for their disobedience. This same venom of sin also runs in our veins, and this weekend, we repent of ho...
Mar 24, 2024•27 min
This chapter focuses on honesty, integrity, and the weight of our words as followers of Christ. Max starts with a lighthearted look at exaggeration—fishing tales, golf scores, and boasting about children—before diving into the deeper issue of lying. Though we strongly discipline our children for lying, we often justify it in our own lives. This leads to reflection on how God views even small falsehoods and whether He truly cares about "little fibs." The chapter challenges readers to stop minimiz...
Mar 22, 2024•26 min
This chapter focuses on turning hardships into blessings—what Max calls transforming “garbage to gold.” It challenges readers to reflect on whether they naturally look for the good in difficult situations or tend to dwell on pain and negativity. The ultimate example of garbage to gold is the crucifixion of Jesus. While human actions—Judas' betrayal, the religious leaders’ schemes, and the Roman execution—brought about Jesus' suffering (Matthew 26:1-5, 14-16, 47-56).
Mar 22, 2024•33 min
The Israelites have sent spies out into Canaan to see if they can take the land from these people. God has already promised them this land, but they are questioning their own strength and, in so doing, are not acting in faith. Fear is always the opposite of faith and we also walk in this same wilderness of fear as we look at the things of this world and doubt. This week, we repent of our fears and are reminded again that if our God is for us, then who can be against us?
Mar 20, 2024•32 min
In Numbers 12, we are brought into the Wilderness of Family Conflict as we see Miriam and Aaron arguing with Moses over who he chose to marry. They are jealous of Moses and act in arrogance and pride as they publicly shame him. God Himself has to intervene and remind Aaron and Miriam that God had chosen Moses to have a special relationship with, and it is not their business to question God. The reality is that we all live in the same Wilderness of Family Conflict as we deal with arguing, jealous...
Mar 17, 2024•26 min
In Numbers 12, we are brought into the Wilderness of Family Conflict as we see Miriam and Aaron arguing with Moses over who he chose to marry. They are jealous of Moses and act in arrogance and pride as they publicly shame him. God Himself has to intervene and remind Aaron and Miriam that God had chosen Moses to have a special relationship with, and it is not their business to question God. The reality is that we all live in the same Wilderness of Family Conflict as we deal with arguing, jealous...
Mar 17, 2024•32 min
