Life can be hard…and unless you’re crazy, no one looks forward to the hardships. Yet James opens up his letter with the words “consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds.” REALLY?!? Look at our hardships with joy? How is this even possible? Well thankfully James doesn’t stop there. Let’s explore how […]
He is risen! He is risen indeed! Today we celebrate the empty tomb and the hope we have in Jesus! The first Easter, however, was less celebratory than today…at least at first. The first Easter started off feeling hopeless, full of sadness. Yet it didn’t stay that way very long! Hope was restored at the […]
We’ve almost all heard the parable of the Prodigal Son. A son decides he wants his inheritance now and is not willing to wait. As soon as his father (graciously!) gives it to him, he runs off and wastes it all, only to return home to his forgiving father who is waiting with open arms. […]
When we work hard, we expect fair compensation. We don’t like to be taken advantage of or ignored. But what about when we’re over compensated? How do we feel when we receive more than we are due? God, in His amazing grace, gives us more than we deserve! As we explore the parable in Matthew […]
We’ve all heard the parable of the Good Samaritan. We’ve all learned the lesson that we need to show kindness. But is that the only thing Jesus was trying to teach in Luke 10? How did the first audience to this popular parable understand Jesus’ teaching? Who really is “our neighbor”?
Sometimes a story is just a story. At other times, a story is more. In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a seemingly simple story about a farmer who plants seeds. On the surface, it seems pretty straightforward but it carries a lot of weight when we apply it to ourselves. How are we applying God’s Word […]
A Pharisee and a Tax Collector walk into the temple… No, this is not the start of an Old Testament joke but instead a parable of Jesus. Through the use of storytelling, Jesus provided deep lessons on the Kingdom of God and other spiritual topics. This week, as we look at a story about a Pharisee […]
We are called to “go and make disciples” and to be Christ’s ambassadors. We reach our world and open doors, introducing people to the love of Jesus, and there are a lot of opportunities to do so. However, without coming to the one door that really matters, none of our efforts mean anything. Jesus is […]
We are called to be Christ’s Ambassadors and to reach the world for Him. Sometimes, however, our own expectations get in the way and we need to be reminded that we are simply called to do the work and God will make it grow.
We all open doors…both physically and spiritually. What doors are you opening? How are you reaching the world with the love, forgiveness, and hope that Jesus offers?