On Second Thought Peter’s declaration sounded courageous when he made it: “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake” (John 13:37). We can almost hear the confidence in his voice. Peter loved Jesus, and he sincerely believed his devotion was strong enough to withstand whatever cameContinue reading “When Failure Sends You Home”
Tag Archives: Repentance
Repentance That Shows Up on Monday
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”
Turn Around—The King Is Coming
In the Life of Christ There is something refreshingly uncomplicated about John the Baptist. He does not arrive in Luke’s Gospel trying to build a following around himself. He has one message because, ultimately, he has one mission: prepare people for Jesus. Luke tells us that John went throughout the Jordan region “preaching a baptismContinue reading “Turn Around—The King Is Coming”
When Judgment Pauses at the Door
The Bible in a Year “If that nation, against whom I have pronounced judgment, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.” — Jeremiah 18:8 Jeremiah 18 gives us one of those passages that helps us understand both the seriousness of sin and the tenderness ofContinue reading “When Judgment Pauses at the Door”
The Storm Never Stays in One Cabin
On Second Thought “I cried out to the Lord because of my affliction, and He answered me. Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and You heard my voice.” — Jonah 2:2 One of the most persistent lies sin tells us is that it can be contained. We tell ourselves that a private decisionContinue reading “The Storm Never Stays in One Cabin”
When the Season Passes and Nothing Has Changed
The Bible in a Year “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” — Jeremiah 8:20 There is something haunting about that sentence. Jeremiah is not describing a minor disappointment. He is looking at a people who have watched one opportunity after another pass by while still assuming that somehowContinue reading “When the Season Passes and Nothing Has Changed”
When God Plows the Heart
The Bible in a Year “Thus says the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.” — Jeremiah 4:3 If you have ever watched a farmer prepare a field that has been sitting untouched for a while, you know that planting does not begin withContinue reading “When God Plows the Heart”
When God Raises the Warning Signal
DID YOU KNOW “Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.” — Isaiah 13:2 Did you know that God’s warning of judgment is also an expression of His mercy? Isaiah 13 opens with the sound of battle. God commands that a signal beContinue reading “When God Raises the Warning Signal”
WHEN OUR WAY BECAME HIS BURDEN
The Bible in a Year “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” —Isaiah 53:6 Isaiah 53:6 places the whole gospel into a single verse. It tells us what humanity has done, what our wanderingContinue reading “WHEN OUR WAY BECAME HIS BURDEN”
WHEN REPENTANCE BECOMES MORE THAN A WORD
As the Day Ends “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth.” —2 Timothy 2:25 As this day closes, Paul’s words invite us to examine whether repentance is merely part of our religious vocabulary or a living response within the heart. TheContinue reading “WHEN REPENTANCE BECOMES MORE THAN A WORD”