We are unable in and of ourselves to break free from the enchantment of money and material wealth. Such things will always seem more important to us than Jesus, His cross, or His kingdom. But what we could never do on our own, God Himself does for...

Jesus doesn’t want this rich ruler’s money. He wants his heart. And He wants his heart because He wants what’s best. Those idols we set upon the throne of our hearts will ultimately undo us in the end. Jesus knows it. But we often don’t. So He...

The words to Joy to the World were penned by Isaac Watts now 300 years ago. In the first verse of this carol we are encouraged to prepare room for Jesus in our hearts. Such a thing proves to be more difficult than we first imagine, but, when once we...

There’s something in the fallen hearts of men and women that prizes autonomy, self-sufficiency, and independence. But such things run counter to the kingdom of God. Indeed, they will keep us from ever truly entering it. Jesus says that the kingdom...

We’re not right. Not all of us are willing to admit it. But, deep down, we all feel it. And we have different ways of trying to get better—we have different ways of attempting “justification.” In this parable, Jesus gives us two of the most common...

We live in the space between the two advents of Christ, the two phases of the kingdom’s arrival, the already and the not-yet. The Son of Man has come once and the Son of Man is coming again. And, in this space between, we pray, and we pray, and we...

God is the primary actor in our lives. His purpose for us is conformity to His image, and He works in and for us, to this end, no matter where we are at, if we are willing to accept Him.

Christians live out their days in between the two advents of Christ. The kingdom of God is both already here in one sense and not-yet fully here in another sense. In view of this, we must not let ourselves be taken by either hopelessness or apathy...

Suffering and hardship often awaken us to our great need. In that place of desperation, we may be willing to cry out to Jesus for help. But what will we do when once the help comes? Will we run off from Him without a second thought? Or will we...

With faith should come humility. It’s a package deal. But often, we attempt to sever the one from the other. We try to take credit for that which God has done in and through us by faith. We grow proud in our spiritual accomplishments. In this...