What Is the Kingdom of Heaven?
We see throughout the Gospel of Matthew that the kingdom of God is a major theme in Jesus’ message. Kingdom can be thought of as a word made up of two parts: king (a sovereign ruler) and “dom” (a domain or territory). Christ’s victory over death ushered in his kingdom, and he is elevated as […]
Which Is Our G.O.A.T? Reflection on the Greatest Commands and Great Commission
As an avid sports fan, I’m not one to object when pulled into a friendly debate discussing the merits of this or that player of this or that professional sport. I also enjoy trying to answer the question that these discussions often lead to: who is the “greatest of all time” (the G.O.A.T.)? In basketball, […]
Church Hurt: 4 Reasons from Jesus Why Churches Can Disappoint
Church hurt. Do you know what it’s like to be disappointed by church? In 1994, in the African country of Rwanda, one African people group named the Hutus tried to kill off another African people group called the Tutsis. In roughly 100 days, the Hutus slaughtered—it wasn’t war, it was genocide—approximately 800,000 Tutsis. To escape […]
Jesus: Our Guide for Affirming Both Testaments
The Bible, comprising the Old and New Testaments, holds a central place in the lives of Christians. It serves as a guide and a source of spiritual nourishment. However, one may wonder, “How can we trust the Bible? How did we get this book of books?” In this article, we’re going to look into the […]
What Happened on Good Friday?
What happened on Good Friday? It was the day Jesus was crucified by Roman soldiers on charges of blasphemy from the religious leaders. According to the biblical record, his death was a sacrifice meant to absorb our sins and allow us to reenter relationship with his Father. This article lists major events from Good Friday […]
God Renews Youth, Covenants, and Things
God is a God who loves to renew things. Like what? Here are three. God renews forgotten youth. I’m not sure if you look back at your younger years with joy or sadness. Whatever our particular story, it’s true our earliest years are a time of great promise. Our youngest selves were trusting and hopeful. […]
Sermon on the Mount: False Prophets
One thing that makes walking the narrow path difficult (Matt. 7:13-14) is that the wide path has a lot of hype men. They’re not hard to find. Thomas Keating recounts a story about Sufi master who was outside on his hands and knees sifting through the grass looking for the key to his house. Some […]
Give and It Will Be Given to You?
Jesus once told his disciples, “Give and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:38, NIV). Really? I struggle to see how that works at times. Logically, if I give something away, I no longer have what I once had. But the teachings of Jesus are anything but logical—at least the way the world normally […]
