In the Life of Christ “What should we do then?” the crowd asked. — Luke 3:10 That may be one of the healthiest questions anyone can ask after hearing the truth of God: What should I do now? John the Baptist had been preaching repentance with enough force to shake people out of their comfortableContinue reading “Repentance That Shows Up on Monday”
Tag Archives: Christian discipleship
When Faith Becomes Personal
As the Day Begins “I know whom I have believed.” — 2 Timothy 1:12 There is a world of difference between knowing something about God and actually knowing God. Paul did not say, “I know what I believe,” although doctrine certainly mattered to him. He said, “I know whom I have believed.” His confidence restedContinue reading “When Faith Becomes Personal”
When Jesus Redraws the Picture of a Christian
In the Life of Christ Every generation develops a mental picture of what a Christian is supposed to look like. Sometimes that picture is shaped by Scripture. Sometimes it is shaped by habit, tradition, personality, or the expectations of the religious community around us. That is why the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7Continue reading “When Jesus Redraws the Picture of a Christian”
When God Speaks from the Wilderness
In the Life of Christ Luke does something interesting before John the Baptist ever begins preaching. He gives us names. Important names. Tiberius Caesar. Pontius Pilate. Herod. Philip. Lysanias. Annas. Caiaphas. These were the people who occupied the political and religious structures of authority in John’s day. If you had asked the average person whereContinue reading “When God Speaks from the Wilderness”
The Blessed Life Begins Under His Yoke
As the Day Begins “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me…For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” — Matthew 11:29–30 There is something wonderfully honest about Jesus’ invitation: He never promises us a life without a yoke. He promises us His yoke. Every morning we wake beneath something—responsibilities, expectations, worries,Continue reading “The Blessed Life Begins Under His Yoke”
When Temptation Sounds the Alarm
On Second Thought “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?” — Proverbs 6:27 Temptation is usually treated as an invitation, but Scripture teaches us to recognize it as a warning. The moment temptation appears, something inside us should sound an alarm: danger is near, consequences are real, and aContinue reading “When Temptation Sounds the Alarm”
Why Drink from a Broken Cistern?
The Bible in a Year “My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” — Jeremiah 2:13 Jeremiah gives us an image his original audience understood immediately. In the dry climate of ancient Judah, a flowing springContinue reading “Why Drink from a Broken Cistern?”
When the Living Word Speaks
In the Life of Christ Every person builds life upon some final authority. Some people trust reason: “If it makes sense to me, I will believe it.” Others trust experience: “If it feels right, it must be right.” Still others depend upon tradition: “This is how we have always done it.” Reason, experience, and traditionContinue reading “When the Living Word Speaks”
When Jesus Speaks, Everything Must Listen
In the Life of Christ “The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” —Mark 1:22 Every one of us lives under some source of authority. We may not always call it authority, but something ultimately determines what we believe, howContinue reading “When Jesus Speaks, Everything Must Listen”
WHEN THE KING CALLS YOUR NAME
In the Life of Christ “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.” —Mark 1:17–18 There is a difference between receiving advice and hearing a command from someone who possesses rightful authority. Advice allows us to consider our options.Continue reading “WHEN THE KING CALLS YOUR NAME”