Today will have weighty burdens. To do lists, undesirable tasks, deadlines, traffic, relational hurdles, unmet needs and desires for self and for others… to say the day has a lot of drag working against you as you move forward in your relationship with Christ is an understatement! It’ll feel like carrying an anvil, or running through a swimming pool with an open parachute behind you. I’m exhausted just thinking about it!
Did you notice the contrast? I’m Christ Jesus, you are uncondemnable, but instead led by the Spirit as God’s child. The Spirit of God never condemns a believer for sin, but is convincing us by His love and trustworthiness of who we are as God’s reborn new creation in Christ. He’s not making you feel worse so you will try harder, but making you feel loved, despite our stumbling, so you will trust Him more.
People are often confused about the nature of obedience – whether with regard to sin or with regard to religious activity or anything else – when they discover the grace of God and the finished work of Christ really is sufficient for all God requires.
God’s agenda actually isn’t behavior improvement (though He certainly desires you to know the freedom His righteousness affords you). It’s not impact for His glory (He does that with or without you). So what’s He doing with your life? After the resurrection, and the...
Hey friends - Just a quick update, word of encouragement, and a prayer request for you… I’m really humbled and blessed to be sharing this weekend as a keynote speaker at the Network 220 convention in Atlanta along with some amazing communicators like John Lynch, Ralph...
Day 1 - Good Friday Today we recognize the determination of the love of Christ. Pilate tried to free Him, the disciples tried to dissuade Him, the religious tried to shame Him, and the Romans tried to ignore Him even while the masses had tried to crown Him. But what...
I had the privilege of sharing at a men's ministry event recently and a conversation was still fresh on their minds: “If it's ‘work’ I don't want to do it! Isn't striving or toiling contrary to the rest and peace we have in Jesus?” What a great question and...
We all feel lacking at times. With Easter approaching, here’s a poignant and life-changing scene from the cross of Christ: “…Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I thirst.’ A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a...
Psalms 90:12 says, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to you heart of wisdom.“ I’m amazed by the wisdom of God in David’s prose, at times. He does not ask that God will teach us to increase our days; he doesn’t ask that God would show us how to...
In Philippians 4:8 Paul says “Finally, brothers, whatever is true…Think on such things.” What does it mean to think on whatever is true? The Greek word “alethes” is “a-” (meaning “not”) plus “lanthanos” (meaning “hidden”). So, that which is true is literally what is...
Maybe you’ve never connected the day He created with the celebration He empowers. Check it out… Psalm 148 says, “Praise Him you sun, moon and bright shining stars.” When you take a photo of a landscape, or smell a flower, or enjoy the chorus of the stars of heaven...
The Jerusalem temple was holy, the ark of the covenant was holy, the tent of tabernacle in the desert was holy, all because of His divine presence. My friends - holiness is not a list of tasks to accomplish or avoid. Holiness is a characteristic of the...