Gods looks like Jesus. And that changes everything.
It’s been a tumultuous week for those of us living in the United States. Some are convinced that the world was just saved. Others believe it might well have just ended. One person told me, “Depending on the election results, I may have to change my...
I hate waiting. My skin crawled with impatience in the coffee line this morning, even though there was nowhere I needed to be. Sometimes this feeling is what keeps me from praying. It’s not God’s wise “no” to my prayers that I dread most. It’s that...
If you were to pinpoint the sin—the bad habit or hang-up, if you prefer—that is costing you the most, what would it be? I’ve begun to suspect that the truest answer for most of us is one that rarely crosses our minds. I’ve been reading...
There is probably no teaching of Jesus more universally beloved than this little gem: “Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Put on my yoke, and learn from me. I’m gentle and humble. And...
Do you believe that there is such a thing as demons? I know people with almost every conceivable view on the subject. Some believe that every day they encounter personal struggles attributable to activity by evil spirits. Others think the idea...
During a recent sermon, I talked about false messiahs and false prophets—figures Jesus said would come along, claiming to represent him and even offering miraculous evidence, but who should not be believed (Mark 13:5-6, 21-23). For some, this all...
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about false gospels. A few weeks ago while scrolling through YouTube, I happened upon a sermon by Steve Cuss, author of Managing Leadership Anxiety. Cuss described a gospel as a story with two key components: (a) a...
There’s a story Jesus tells about a man who goes on an extended journey and leaves a sum of money for each of three servants to tend in his absence. Two of the servants double the investment. The third sticks the money in a hole—the ancient...
There’s a story told in 1 Kings 17 about a prophet named Elijah who delivers bad news to a person in power and is forced to hide out in the wilderness. When famine hits and the local food and water sources dry up, God tells Elijah to go to a town...
Recently praying about a decision I needed to make, I kept having a strange experience. During prayer I would reach a point of seeming clarity about the best action to take. But an hour or two later, the clarity would vanish. This happened again and...
Gods looks like Jesus. And that changes everything.