Live long enough and you’ll be afraid of the “things” of this life! All of us experience fear during the course of our lives, but sometimes circumstances can seem overwhelming and it can seem as if God is absent, God is gone, or worse…God is dead! That’s how Mary felt here. Her Lord was not only dead but He was also gone! What would her future look like now? How would she live on after three years invested in service in and through Jesus? And then Jesus shows up! He didn’t have to. He could have...
Aug 14, 2022•34 min
Live long enough and you’ll be afraid of the “things” of this life! All of us experience fear during the course of our lives, but sometimes circumstances can seem overwhelming and it can seem as if God is absent, God is gone, or worse…God is dead! That’s how Mary felt here. Her Lord was not only dead but He was also gone! What would her future look like now? How would she live on after three years invested in service in and through Jesus? And then Jesus shows up! He didn’t have to. He could have...
Aug 14, 2022•25 min
Aug 12, 2022•29 min
Aug 10, 2022•11 min
Aug 09, 2022•15 min
This is one of the stories from John that reminds us that Jesus comes to us in order to change our thinking…in order to change us! This story is so important because Jesus is calling us to understand our faith in Him through this story. Technically this could be “Encountering Jesus in Pride”…because He shows our prideful-selves what true humility looks like. The Lord of Glory…bending low. The Lord of Glory…stooping to serve. The Lord of Glory…washing filthy feet. And then The Lord of Glory sayin...
Aug 07, 2022•36 min
This is one of the stories from John that reminds us that Jesus comes to us in order to change our thinking…in order to change us! This story is so important because Jesus is calling us to understand our faith in Him through this story. Technically this could be “Encountering Jesus in Pride”…because He shows our prideful-selves what true humility looks like. The Lord of Glory…bending low. The Lord of Glory…stooping to serve. The Lord of Glory…washing filthy feet. And then The Lord of Glory sayin...
Aug 07, 2022•26 min
Aug 05, 2022•33 min
Aug 03, 2022•12 min
Aug 02, 2022•10 min
Always seems odd to talk about Jesus meeting us in our gratitude. We presume we’re the actors when we’re not. Take worship for example…we think we come to give to Him but in fact, He comes to give to us. Mary’s love for Jesus here was born of her gratitude for the return of her brother Lazarus. She was tearful and sad in John 11 but is grateful and glad here in John 12. And yet, even in her gratitude Jesus meets her. Jesus receives it for what it is, namely a huge “thank you note” for blessing h...
Jul 31, 2022•29 min
Always seems odd to talk about Jesus meeting us in our gratitude. We presume we’re the actors when we’re not. Take worship for example…we think we come to give to Him but in fact, He comes to give to us. Mary’s love for Jesus here was born of her gratitude for the return of her brother Lazarus. She was tearful and sad in John 11 but is grateful and glad here in John 12. And yet, even in her gratitude Jesus meets her. Jesus receives it for what it is, namely a huge “thank you note” for blessing h...
Jul 31, 2022•38 min
Jul 29, 2022•33 min
Jul 26, 2022•11 min
Not unlike last week’s theme, we remember today that when we’re hurting God can seem far away. Jesus Himself cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1). Today we remember however that when Mary and Martha were hurting over their brother Lazarus, Jesus was right there. To be sure, He was there in His timing and according to His plan and purpose, but He was there. More than that however, He was not just there for them, but He was there with them. In fact, in an amazing twis...
Jul 24, 2022•26 min
Not unlike last week’s theme, we remember today that when we’re hurting God can seem far away. Jesus Himself cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Psalm 22:1). Today we remember however that when Mary and Martha were hurting over their brother Lazarus, Jesus was right there. To be sure, He was there in His timing and according to His plan and purpose, but He was there. More than that however, He was not just there for them, but He was there with them. In fact, in an amazing twis...
Jul 24, 2022•32 min
One of the things that derails many people’s faith is our broken world. The presumption is this: Since there’s a broken world where people get hurt and get sick and ultimately die, then God cannot be a good and gracious God. But today we remember through the man born blind in John 9, that Jesus meets us in our brokenness and comes to bring healing. Never forget, that might not be the healing that you want…but Jesus nonetheless comes to us in our brokenness and He does so to bring healing and who...
Jul 17, 2022•24 min
One of the things that derails many people’s faith is our broken world. The presumption is this: Since there’s a broken world where people get hurt and get sick and ultimately die, then God cannot be a good and gracious God. But today we remember through the man born blind in John 9, that Jesus meets us in our brokenness and comes to bring healing. Never forget, that might not be the healing that you want…but Jesus nonetheless comes to us in our brokenness and He does so to bring healing and who...
Jul 17, 2022•32 min
We live in a very judgmental world that is quick to castigate and slow to elevate. But we in the church can be extremely judgmental too and often are far more judgmental than anyone we meet on the street. Now, we know what God’s Word says about sin…sin in general and sin in specific too. The character that meets Jesus in John eight was in fact guilty as charged…she was an adulterous. But the point Jesus makes in this text is if we are judgmental, we better take a hard look at our own lives becau...
Jul 10, 2022•27 min
We live in a very judgmental world that is quick to castigate and slow to elevate. But we in the church can be extremely judgmental too and often are far more judgmental than anyone we meet on the street. Now, we know what God’s Word says about sin…sin in general and sin in specific too. The character that meets Jesus in John eight was in fact guilty as charged…she was an adulterous. But the point Jesus makes in this text is if we are judgmental, we better take a hard look at our own lives becau...
Jul 10, 2022•28 min
Sometimes our lives consume us. We are a never-ending, in-motion, non-stop, gotta have more society. Our wealth and our drive for more wealth isn’t in an of itself a bad thing. The problem is we are quite good at taking a good gift from God and turning it into something that gets between us and our relationship with Jesus. As we encounter Jesus however, we are reminded of what’s important. Jesus says in John chapter six “Don’t work for food that perishes but food that endures to eternal life whi...
Jul 03, 2022•31 min
Sometimes our lives consume us. We are a never-ending, in-motion, non-stop, gotta have more society. Our wealth and our drive for more wealth isn’t in an of itself a bad thing. The problem is we are quite good at taking a good gift from God and turning it into something that gets between us and our relationship with Jesus. As we encounter Jesus however, we are reminded of what’s important. Jesus says in John chapter six “Don’t work for food that perishes but food that endures to eternal life whi...
Jul 03, 2022•24 min
Sometimes our lives consume us. We are a never-ending, in-motion, non-stop, gotta have more society. Our wealth and our drive for more wealth isn’t in an of itself a bad thing. The problem is we are quite good at taking a good gift from God and turning it into something that gets between us and our relationship with Jesus. As we encounter Jesus however, we are reminded of what’s important. Jesus says in John chapter six “Don’t work for food that perishes but food that endures to eternal life whi...
Jul 02, 2022•27 min
We live in a world that believes that they can do whatever they want to regardless of what the Word of God says. Sadly…Christians are at that spot too. But that’s not true. We are called submit our lives, our will, our hearts to Christ’s word and the life He wants for us to live. Having said that, our amazing God nonetheless meets us right where we’re at. He doesn’t reject us simply because we’re living in a way that is contrary to His Word. He intentionally came to the woman at the well…Jesus s...
Jun 26, 2022•25 min
We live in a world that believes that they can do whatever they want to regardless of what the Word of God says. Sadly…Christians are at that spot too. But that’s not true. We are called submit our lives, our will, our hearts to Christ’s word and the life He wants for us to live. Having said that, our amazing God nonetheless meets us right where we’re at. He doesn’t reject us simply because we’re living in a way that is contrary to His Word. He intentionally came to the woman at the well…Jesus s...
Jun 26, 2022•28 min
Jun 24, 2022•29 min
Ever questioned your Christian faith? Ever had a hard time understanding or even believing the truth about Christianity? The story of Nicodemus reminds us that the Lord Jesus is indeed patient with us and meets us in our doubts and struggles about the faith. Nicodemus was a learned man! Nicodemus was a teacher of the faith of the Old Testament! Though that was true about him, Nicodemus didn’t grasp or understand what Jesus meant when He said “You must be born again.” And how does Jesus respond? ...
Jun 19, 2022•31 min
Ever questioned your Christian faith? Ever had a hard time understanding or even believing the truth about Christianity? The story of Nicodemus reminds us that the Lord Jesus is indeed patient with us and meets us in our doubts and struggles about the faith. Nicodemus was a learned man! Nicodemus was a teacher of the faith of the Old Testament! Though that was true about him, Nicodemus didn’t grasp or understand what Jesus meant when He said “You must be born again.” And how does Jesus respond? ...
Jun 19, 2022•28 min
Jun 18, 2022•37 min
Jun 15, 2022•11 min
