Ezekiel is violently taken back to Jerusalem in a vision to see the utter rejection and adultery of Israel and her leaders with the worship of other gods. We see a complete failure of the people to recognize God as the One Power or as Israel's spiritual husband. Their corruption is complete.

God called Ezekiel and then used Ezekiel to call to His people Israel, God almost always uses a person to reach a people, it's why He works to get our attention before he gets our assistance. In the end, He wants them to see HIM, not us.

We live as people captured by culture but that doesn't mean we have to submit to it. Our best option is not to combat culture or condemn it but to offer a viable contrast to it. People need to see there's another, better way to live.

We live as people captured by culture but that doesn't mean we have to submit to it. Our best option is not to combat culture or condemn it but to offer a viable contrast to it. People need to see there's another, better way to live.

Peter goes from thinking he's a hero to knowing he's a zero. But Peter's failures can't keep Jesus from pointing to his future! We've all screwed up but Jesus doesn't waste time condemning, He just encourages and points us back to mission!

Matthew records parallel stories of Jesus and Peter in his Gospel. Jesus prepares and Peter ignores. Jesus succeeds and Peter fails. But what Matthew is trying to show us in real time is why he and we needed Jesus to die, why remorse wasn't good enough and how Jesus turns failure around on the road to redemption.

Easter Sunday is a time of joy and triumph, but many of us enter the season with doubts and fears that feel inconsistent with the celebration. But instead of being angry with us, we learn that Jesus fiercely and tenderly meets us in our doubt in order to transform our hearts and lives.

It's amazing the incredible events that have been set in motion by seemingly simple incidents, like the first domino that falls and sets the whole run in motion. Jesus has this moment when some Greeks come to speak with Him - this simple event sets in motion Jesus greatest sacrifice. And instead of evading it, Jesus embraces it. Can you see purpose in your pain like Jesus did?

The first two stories about Jesus in John's Jesus Biography parallel two events: Jesus invited to a wedding and Jesus crashing worship. There are huge similarities here but the bottom line is that Jesus displays first love for others and then love for God. He begins His ministry displaying in real-time the highest two ethics of the Kingdom He was ushering in.

Jesus didn't just have to die, He willingly chose to die. Sometimes the plans of God don't seem that appealing to us, but we can't accomplish the will of God through the ways of man. Jesus was obedient to God's will and God's ways and because of it, He purchased our salvation