People may look at the same thing, but it doesn’t mean they see the same thing. When 12 Israelites were sent to scout out the Promised Land after wandering the wilderness, ten spies came back with a negative report, but two came back with courage and confidence. We don’t want to see what everyone else sees. We want to have a perspective that is shaped by our faith. Don’t let what you think is possible get in the way of what God has already promised.

Kyle Idleman • Our Next Guest • Numbers 13, 14

Pride is the enemy of the way of life Jesus invites us to. It stretches us beyond our capacities, not letting us off the treadmill of striving until we snap. But the simple work that Jesus invites us into is one of learning from and abiding in Him. It is only when we allow ourselves to be poured into by Him and filled with the Holy Spirit that we can adequately pour out to others and work from a place of true rest.

Ryan Bramlett • Achilles • Matthew 11:28-30

Jesus takes it very seriously when people who claim to represent Him couldn’t be further from Him. Prideful pretending causes us to be more concerned about managing our image than developing our character. It causes us to be more concerned with the applause of men than the approval of God. The only way to be real is to serve without ulterior motives. The life Jesus modeled and the message He preached were one and the same – whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Aaron Brockett • Achilles • Matthew 23

Every single one of us has a vulnerability or weakness in our character that, left unchecked, can and will bring down our relationships, reputation, and influence. That weakness is pride – an unhealthy preoccupation with self – and Scripture is clear that God hates pride. He knows it is the root of nearly every sin struggle we have, which is why one of the most loving things God does for us is oppose pride in our lives. There is freedom in letting go of pride, embracing humility, and acknowledging our need for God in everything we do.

Aaron Brockett • Achilles • Matthew 18

Pride is the thing that can so easily take us down and out. It can be blinding. That’s what we see in Saul in 1 Samuel 15. Saul has been so focused on himself that he loses touch with reality. Pride manifests itself in many different ways, and Saul’s story shows us that insecurity is one way it can show up in our lives. Let’s consider how pride sneaks into our own lives and ask God to replace it with humility by pointing us to our example, Jesus.

Aaron Brockett • Achilles • 1 Samuel 15

In the parable of the sower, Jesus used something His audience would have been culturally familiar with – agriculture – to connect with their hearts. If the seed is God’s Word and the soil is our hearts, what type of soil is God’s Word finding in your heart? Hard? Shallow? Distracted? Or is it the last type of soil Jesus mentions, the good soil – people who hear God’s Word, cling to it, and then patiently produce a harvest? Through His life, Jesus showed us the way to create a sustainable and consistent environment for growth in our own hearts. God will grow the harvest. Our only job is to plant and be faithful. To be present, patient, and persistent.
Kyle Riley • Dirt • Luke 8:4-15

Jesus tells the parable of the farmer scattering seed to explain how personal and spiritual growth happens in our lives. The seed is God’s Word and the soil is our hearts. If the seed is going to produce anything, it has to push up through the soil, as well as the thorns that threaten to choke the life out of it. There will be thorns and weeds in our lives, but God wants to take what happens to us to accomplish His work in us, so He can fulfill His purpose through us.
Aaron Brockett • Dirt • Luke 8:4-15

The parable of the sower teaches us that the kind of soil we have in our hearts determines the kind of growth we will see in our lives. We have a tendency to focus almost exclusively on the fruit above the surface in our lives, but there’s nothing we will see above the surface that didn’t start below. To experience change, we need to get to the root – the condition of our hearts.
Aaron Brockett • Dirt • Luke 8:4-15

Dirt is a natural medium for growth. When Jesus tells the parable of the four soils, He isn’t speaking about farming. He’s talking about the condition of our heart. The story Jesus tells is an invitation to listen with new ears, with curiosity, and with a heart to truly hear what He has to say. Jesus didn’t come to entertain the crowds. He came to announce the good news of a new kingdom – the kind of kingdom that’s available to anyone who’s willing to truly listen and understand.Ryan Bramlett • Dirt • Luke 8:4-12

Failure is defined as an inability to perform, giving way under stress, a lack of success, falling short, or one who has failed. We all experience failure at some point in our lifetime. But some failures cut so deep, they seem almost unbearable. A closer look at the life of Peter shows us that Jesus still pursues us in our failures. Because Jesus IS resurrection, no failure will ever be too big for Him to overcome. In Him, we have redemption and can walk from failure to freedom.
Aaron Brockett • Easter • John 21