Philippians 3:17-4:1

There is always the temptation to take the easy way out. Whenever difficulties and crosses com our way, that temptation will be even stronger than ever. We want to have a comfortable Christianity.

The bad news? There are no detours allowed. Trying to avoid the difficulties that come from following Jesus can even make us unwitting enemies of the cross.

The good news? We have a Savior who didn't hesitate to pick up his cross to earn us citizenship in heaven, and who promises to be with us as we carry our own! With him, we can stand firm!

1 Samuel 17

The story of David and Goliath is one of the most popular stories in Scripture, but do you really understand it? It's not a story about personal perseverance as an underdog against your enemies. It's not a moralistic tale to teach us to " just have faith like David" and God will give us the victories. It's a story of a champion who steps in and fights a battle no one else was willing to fight or could. David winning the victory for all of Israel as Israel's champion gives us a clear picture of our champion, Jesus, who stepped in to win the victory we couldn't win ourselves!

2 Samuel 12:1-13

Lent can be a difficult time for people because of how somber and self-reflective it is. Lent begins with what might be the most painful and blunt day in the entire season: Ash Wednesday. Ashes remind Christians that every person is doomed to return to ash and dust in death. Death is the inescapable proof that we are sinful and deserve punishment.

However painful God's law might be, God doesn't wound us out of petty vengeance. His goal is not that we simply beat ourselves up or try to punish ourselves. He wants to lead us to repentance! In repentance, we turn from our sinful ways and foolish ignorance of our own sin, and to our Savior.

God's Lenten promise to everyone hurting because of their sin is this: "The Lord has taken away your sin! You are not going to die!"

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

We are naturally inclined to try to find peace, perfection, and fulfillment by doing the right things or taking the right steps. Our final "epiphany moment" is that true glory can't be found in our own actions. Instead, it's found in the gospel.

Luke 6:27-38

Humans are naturally wired to be very concerned about fairness. The Golden Rule seems to be an excellent way to ensure fairness. (What's more fair than treating people the way we'd want them to treat us?)

Jesus, however, calls Christians to something even higher than a focus on fairness.

Luke 13:1-9

It's easy to see how badly others might need to repent, and even get caught in the comparison game.

Even when we do recognize how desperately we need to repent, there's always the temptation to procrastinate.

As he urges us to repent, Jesus shows us that there's no better time than right now to turn from our sins and trust in him. Thankfully, his patience and love are every bit as real as our sin and need to repent!

2 Corinthians 12:7b-10

We feel like we're pretty good at judging what's good for us and what's bad for us. In his grace, God reveals to us that sometimes the things we think might be best for us can come with hidden dangers, and that every evil think in our life comes with hidden blessing.

Luke 5:1-11

In a world where we have all sorts of experts and specialists, we're used to looking for the best and most qualified people for the job, especially for particularly important tasks.

We'd expect God to do the same when it comes to the crucial work of sharing his gospel. Not so! No matter how qualified (or unqualified) we may feel, God chooses all believers for his gospel ministry, and then leads us with his power and grace.

Luke 4:16-30

This week's epiphany moment is all about rejection. Normally, we think being rejected is a painful sign of failure. Watching Jesus get rejected by his own hometown, however, we see that this might not be the case!

Ephesians 3:14-21

So often, the temptation is to think that God offers us less than we ask or disappoints our expectations. However, God is capable of giving us even more than we could ever ask or imagine. What if, in our search for fulfillment and joy in life, we're actually guilty of setting our sights too low? God gives us more than we ask, not less!