God willing we have a full year ahead of us; a year of opportunities, new endeavors, responsibility, work etc. Through it all my prayer is that we would make Christ the center of our lives, the primary priority of our lives, the focus of our heart’s...

God willing we have a full year ahead of us; a year of opportunities, new endeavors, responsibility, work etc. Through it all my prayer is that we would make Christ the center of our lives, the primary priority of our lives, the focus of our heart’s affection and the captivating thought that consumes our mind because Jesus is good and He alone is what satisfies. There is nothing better than Jesus.

In these verses we see the new Christian community in Jerusalem struggling with the Gentiles new-found reconciliation to God apart from adhering to Jewish ritual purity laws. Peter recounts how he came to a fuller understanding of the new means by...

In these verses we see the new Christian community in Jerusalem struggling with the Gentiles new-found reconciliation to God apart from adhering to Jewish ritual purity laws. Peter recounts how he came to a fuller understanding of the new means by which a sinful people are now able to stand in God's presence - by grace, through faith. As we head into a new year, may our time reflecting on this truth encourage us to cultivate a daily closeness to God that accurately reflects the extraordinary reality of our relationship with Him through Christ Jesus.

As Christmas draws near, many of us desire to be with the ones we love. As we mature, it is not the gifts that we look forward to most but the opportunity to be with loved ones. And so we make plans, book tickets, pay outrages prices, we navigate...

As Christmas draws near, many of us desire to be with the ones we love. As we mature, it is not the gifts that we look forward to most but the opportunity to be with loved ones. And so we make plans, book tickets, pay outrages prices, we navigate insane traffic and travel great distances to be with the ones we love. Christmas is about God coming near to us. He leaves his heavenly abode and draws near to his loved ones, his beloved. At Christmas, God, who loves us, came to us.

This morning, we finish the Gospel According to John. Without a doubt the resurrection of Jesus is the climax of the gospel. But John keeps writing and tells us about Jesus’ interactions with the disciples after his resurrection. And so in a way, the...

This morning, we finish the Gospel According to John. Without a doubt the resurrection of Jesus is the climax of the gospel. But John keeps writing and tells us about Jesus’ interactions with the disciples after his resurrection. And so in a way, the Gospel of John can feel anti-climatic. But John ends with something very meaningful. He ends with Peter’s redemption. Indeed, these finals verses are very beautiful and precious to those who love Jesus but are oh so painfully aware of our shortcomings and many failures. The gospel of John ends with hope for every single imperfect disciple of Jesus.

John provides us with a succinct yet powerful purpose statement for his gospel as he continued to urge his readers to believe in Jesus. Jesus continued to graciously reveal himself to his disciples and welcome them into fellowship.

John provides us with a succinct yet powerful purpose statement for his gospel as he continued to urge his readers to believe in Jesus. Jesus continued to graciously reveal himself to his disciples and welcome them into fellowship.