Thirsting Souls

When a lawyer comes to Jesus with a good question yet bad motives, Jesus turns the tables and shows that the man's heart reveals he does not have eternal life. Using a parable about a good Samaritan, Jesus exposes this man's heart and teaches us a lesson about how we must be characterized by love and mercy if we are to have eternal life.

Luke 10:17–24 — The seventy-two return from their mission, thrilled that "even the demons are subject to us in your name." Jesus is glad for them, but he isn't finished. He takes their joy apart and rebuilds it on ground that will actually hold.

In this study of Luke 10:17–24, Daniel Steeves walks through the three places Jesus locates Christian joy: results, record, and revelation. The text shows why only one of them can carry the weight of a whole life.

When the 72 report demons, Jesus reports something bigger: "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." It's the same mission from two vantage points, and only one of them takes in the whole thing. That gap is good news for anyone discouraged by ministry that doesn't seem to work. Your assessment of your own obedience is not the final word on it.

Then comes the correction in verse 20: "Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." Be thrilled by his power, but be overjoyed by his grace. Results change. Some weeks the demons submit, and some weeks the town runs you out. A joy tied to ministry success will rise and fall your whole life long.

In this episode:

• Why Jesus "audits" his disciples' joy instead of simply celebrating with them
• What "I saw Satan fall like lightning" means (and the Isaiah 14 imagery behind it)
• The authority to tread on serpents and scorpions — what verse 19 actually promises, and what it doesn't
• Why a newborn's birth certificate explains "your names are written in heaven"
• Jesus' unique sonship and authority in Luke 10:22 — "all things have been handed over to me by my Father"
• Why prophets and kings longed to see what you hold in your lap

In this devotional, Daniel reflects on the significance of his son's name, Asher. Asher means "blessed" or "happy." That Hebrew word shows up in Psalm 112 to describe the man who is blessed. Ultimately, this Psalm points to Jesus, the one blessed by the Father who, in turn, blesses us!

Who is worth climbing a roof for? In Mark 2, four men decide a paralyzed friend is worth wrecking a stranger's house, because they believe Jesus can do what no one else can. This sermon traces their bold faith and asks a hard question: why do our own hands stay empty? The answer reaches beyond closed garage doors and awkward break rooms into something closer to home: the pride that tells us we are less broken than the people around us. If you have ever felt stuck, unsure how to share your faith, or convinced someone you love is too far gone, this message points you back to the One who walks into graveyards.

Themes include grace, forgiveness, sharing the gospel, and treasuring Christ. Preached at Litchfield First Baptist Church.

When everything you stand for feels like it's being torn down, the temptation is to step back, soften your convictions, and quit. King David felt it too. Saul was hunting him, and his own friends were telling him to flee to the mountains.

In Psalm 11, David tells us why the righteous don't run: because the Lord still reigns from his throne, because his eyes never leave the silver in the fire, and because one day the upright will behold his face.

If you're weary, tempted to give up on a hard child, or wondering whether faithfulness changes anything, this Psalm is for you.

Luke 8:40–56 presents two desperate situations and one powerful Savior. A dying girl and a suffering woman reveal what it means to trust Jesus in urgency, delay, and even death. Discover how faith is tested, refined, and ultimately honored by Christ.

Jesus calms storms and casts out demons in this powerful study of Luke 8:22–39. Discover how Christ’s authority over nature and the spiritual realm calls us to deeper faith, bold witness, and unwavering trust, even in chaos.

When Jesus died, the sky went black, the ground shook, the temple veil was torn in half, and dead people walked out of their graves. Rather than describing a world celebrating its freedom from God, Matthew describes a world being shaken awake by God. This is Good Friday message on Matthew 27:45–54 examines what it looks like when the Son of God dies and why that death is the only path to life.

You cannot climb your way to God. Paul makes that clear in Romans 3:21–31. Every person has sinned, every moral resume is a trainwreck, and every attempt to earn God's favor only digs the hole deeper. The good news? God did not wait for you to get it together. He gave you the righteousness of his Son as a gift. This message unpacks what that means and why it should make you the most humble person in the room.

A prophet in a dungeon. A woman everyone whispered about. A religious leader who thought he was fine.

Luke 7 puts three people in front of Jesus, and each one reveals something different about doubt, unbelief, and forgiveness. John the Baptist wrestles with whether Jesus is really the Messiah. The Pharisees find a reason to reject every messenger God sends. And a notorious sinner walks into a room full of people who despise her and falls at Jesus' feet.

The question the passage leaves you with is uncomfortable: Are you not as clean as you think, or more forgiven than you feel?