When Jesus saw the religious hypocrite, he exposed every self-righteous mole and pimple. “All their works they do to be seen by men…” (Matthew 23:5 NKJV). This is the working definition of hypocrisy: “to be seen by men.” We must do good works, and some works such as benevolence  or teaching must be seen in order to have an impact. To do a good thing is a good thing. To do a good thing just to be seen, however, is a serious offense. Hypocrisy turns people away from God. When people enter a church to see God yet can’t see God … Listen Now

Acts 4:13 says, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled.  And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” What set Peter and John apart was the fact that they had been with Jesus.  Could you use some high-octane boldness?  Could you use some courage?  Are you being criticized, mocked, persecuted?  If so, imitate the disciples.  Linger long and often in the presence of Christ.  Meditate on His grace.  Ponder His love.  Memorize His words.  Gaze into His face.  Talk to Him.  Courage comes as we live … Listen Now

Bzuneh Tulema lives in Ethiopia.  Just a few years ago he and his wife were so consumed with alcohol that they farmed out their kids to neighbors and resigned themselves to a drunken demise. But then someone saw them.  A member of an area church shared Jesus with them.  Then Meskerem Trango, a World Vision worker, arranged a loan through the World Vision microfinance department.  Within a year Bzuneh had repaid the loan, built his house, and reclaimed his kids. Could this be God’s strategy for human hurt?  Kind eyes meet desperate ones, strong hands help weak ones, then the … Listen Now

He sat near a gate called Beautiful.  The man, however, was anything but.  He couldn’t walk but had to drag himself about on his knees.  “Peter and John looked straight at him and said, ‘Look at us!’” (Acts 3:4 NCV). The thick, meaty hand of the fisherman reached for the frail, thin one of the beggar. Peter lifted the man toward himself.  The cripple stood and began to shout, and passersby began to stop.  Peter explained that faith in Christ leads to a clean slate with God.  What Jesus did for the legs of the cripple, he does for our … Listen Now

“Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay” (1 Peter 4:9). The Greek word for hospitality compounds two terms: love and stranger. The word literally means to love a stranger. All of us can welcome a guest we know and love.  But can we welcome a stranger?   Every morning in America more than 39 million people wake up in poverty.  When we provide food stamps, we stave off hunger.  But when we invite the hungry to our tables, we address the deeper issues of value and self-worth.  God’s secret weapons in the war … Listen Now

Hospitality and hospital come from the same Latin word, for they both lead to the same result– healing.  When you open your door to someone, you are sending this message:  “You matter to me and to God.” Do you know people who need this message?  Your hospitality can be their hospital.  All you need are a few basic practices. Issue a genuine invitation.  Let your guests know you want them to come. Make a big deal of their arrival.  One of God’s children is coming to your house! Address the needs of your guests.  Modern-day hospitality includes the sharing of … Listen Now

Our society is set up for isolation.  We communicate via e-mail and text messages.  Our mantra is “I leave you alone; you leave me alone.”  Yet God wants his people to be an exception, people of hospitality. “Every day in the Temple and in people’s homes they continued teaching the people and telling the Good News— that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 5:42). Even a casual reading of the New Testament unveils the house as the primary tool of the church.  The first generation of Christians was a tinderbox of contrasting cultures and backgrounds.  Yet, through the clearest of messages (the … Listen Now

What if the missing ingredient for changing the world is teamwork?  “When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action” (Matthew 18:19 MSG).  This is an astounding promise! The Jerusalem church found a way to work together.  They found common ground in the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ.  Because they did, lives were changed.  As you and I work together, the same will happen.  The congregation is a microcosm of God’s plan.  No one can do everything, but everyone can do … Listen Now

None of us can do what all of us can do.  Remember Jesus’ commission to his disciples?  You (speaking to all of you collectively) will be my witnesses (Acts 1:8).  Jesus didn’t issue individual assignments.  He works in community. “Jesus is the head of the body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:18).  I am not his body; you are not his body.  We—together—are his body.  But this body has been known to misbehave.  The brain discounts the heart.  Academics discount worshippers.  The hands criticize the knees. People of action criticize people of prayer.  It is a clear case of mutiny … Listen Now

Acts 2:38 records the sermon of the apostle Peter.  In it, Peter said, “Turn back to God!  Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. We cherish pardon, don’t we?  And God offers it.  He does not give us what we deserve.  He has drenched this world in grace.  It has no end.  It knows no limits.  It empowers this life and enables us to live in the next.  God offers second chances, like a soup kitchen offers meals to everyone who asks.  And that includes you.  Make sure you receive His pardon.  And … Listen Now