Paul emphasizes that our salvation is by grace, through faith, and our righteousness is found in Jesus alone. Yet Paul also reminds us that our faith is evidenced by good works. James reiterates this truth in even stronger language. The parable of the...

The parable illustrates a simple principle: that the kingdom of God has humble beginnings, but we should not let those humble beginnings fool us. The seed that starts small will grow exceedingly large. The dough that is mixed with yeast will feed...

As children of God we all have been forgiven much. The Pharisees clearly saw the sins of others and were blind to their own flaws; their self-righteousness and pride prevented them from seeing in Jesus what a sinful woman saw clearly. Whether our sins...

This week we are exploring how Peter's failure was ultimately used by Jesus to shape him into the early church's strongest leader. A background review on what we know about Peter is followed by his denials and Jesus' personal...

Learning to be Human Like Jesus

In John chapter 10, Jesus uses the shepherding analogy as a metaphor for our lives. Like sheep we are vulnerable, we are often easily led, and we have a tendency to wander. There are other voices that seek to speak into our lives - other shepherds who...

Of all the doctrines or tenets of our faith, none is more significant or liberating than the truth of the resurrection. Because Jesus rose from the dead as He promised, we too can live lives of freedom, lives of hope, and lives of purpose. The...

Last week the encouragement was to trust Jesus in the face of profound betrayal, even betrayal in the church. This week’s encouragement is similar: to recognize Jesus’ loving resolve and to trust Jesus in the face of our own confusing, terrifying...

What is our response to betrayal? This text is challenging because it gives us a very personal and emotional example of someone completely betraying Jesus’ trust. It reminds us of the messiness of the world and the darkness even of our own hearts. But...