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Upside-down Kingdom: The Kingdom Begins with a King

The Sermon on the Mount Begins With a King, Not a Rulebook Most people have no problem with Jesus as a teacher, a moral authority, or even an inspirational figure. But Jesus as King? That is where things get uncomfortable. Before diving into the Beatitudes, the ethics, or the life principles found in Matthew 5 through 7, there is one foundational question every reader must answer: Will you recognize Jesus as King? Why the Sermon on the Mount Is So Often Misunderstood The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most well-known sections of Scripture, and yet it is also one of the most misread. People approach it looking for ethics, life principles, or moral instruction. And depending on the lens you bring, that is exactly what you will see. But Matthew is not simply recording a collection of wise sayings. Before Jesus ever opens His mouth, Matthew is already making a theological argument. The Sermon on the Mount is not primarily about rules. It is about a King. What Matthew 5:1-2 Is ...
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Flourish & Thrive: Remember & Rehearse

Forgetting God Leads to Drift: Why Remembering Him Is the Key to Flourishing Most of us don't walk away from God all at once. We simply stop remembering Him. We forget His faithfulness in yesterday's trial, the way He provided in last year's struggle, and that every good thing we've ever had came from His hand. And slowly, without even realizing it, we drift. That's the heart of what Moses was warning Israel about in Deuteronomy 8, and it's just as relevant for us today. What Is the Greatest Threat to God's People? It's not adversity. It's not enemies. It's not anything outside of ourselves. According to Deuteronomy 8, the greatest threat to God's people is spiritual amnesia. God's concern wasn't that His people would stop believing He existed. It was that they would forget who He was and what He had done. Forgetting God leads to drift. Remembering God leads to flourishing. That's the bottom line. Everything else build...
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Jonah: Ugliest Hearts vs. Good Grace

Have you ever been angry with God? Not just disappointed or confused, but genuinely furious that things didn't go according to your plan? The final chapter of Jonah reveals one of the most uncomfortable truths about human nature: we often want God to be God when it benefits us, but we struggle when His character extends beyond our preferences. Jonah chapter 4 opens with what might be the understatement of the Bible: "Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious." But why? The entire city of Nineveh had just repented and turned to God - shouldn't this be cause for celebration? Jonah's anger stemmed from two sources. First, he was upset that Nineveh actually listened to God's message and repented. But more penetrating is the second reason: Jonah was angry that God is who God is. He was mad at God for being God. The irony is striking. Jonah had deserved destruction for his own disobedience, yet he saw nothing right in God extending that same grace to oth...
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Rooted: Real or Fake?

Our faith is rooted in doing everything we can to be like Jesus. This simple truth forms the foundation of our Christian walk. As believers, we're called to imitate Christ in every aspect of our lives - our thoughts, words, and actions must align with His example. In Ephesians 5:1-6, Paul provides clear guidance on what this imitation looks like and warns against behaviors that pull us away from Christ's example. What Does It Mean to Imitate God? Paul begins with a powerful command: "Therefore be imitators of God as dearly loved children" (Ephesians 5:1). The word "imitate" comes from the Greek word "mimiomai," which means to mimic or copy. Unlike how we sometimes view imitations as inferior copies, Paul is calling us to follow the absolute best example in the universe. Just as children naturally imitate their parents, we as spiritual children should naturally imitate our Heavenly Father. This isn't just about following rules - it...
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Rooted: Do the New

Have you ever made a New Year's resolution only to abandon it within weeks? You're not alone. Statistics show that 92% of resolutions fail, with nearly half of people quitting by the end of January. But why do we keep pushing this idea of transformation when it so often fails? Perhaps it's because deep down, we recognize something is missing. In fact, research shows that 96% of people don't believe they're living up to their full potential. This isn't just about statistics—it's about our deep human desire for meaningful change. In Ephesians 4:25-32, Paul provides practical guidance for this transformation process, showing us how to become the new person God designed us to be. What Does It Mean to Become a New Person in Christ? Our faith is rooted in becoming a new creation. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture tells one story: how sin damaged God's perfect creation, and how God is working to restore everything through Jesus Christ. When we en...
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Centrality: Everything Revolves Around Christ

The Centrality of Jesus: Why He Must Be First in Everything In a world full of competing priorities and distractions, one truth remains paramount - Jesus must be at the center of everything we do and believe. Jesus must be first and foremost in our lives. This foundational principle isn't just for our spiritual lives, but every aspect of our existence. Why Does Jesus Need to Be Central? According to Colossians 1:15-20 , Jesus is: The image of the invisible God Firstborn over all creation Creator of everything in heaven and earth Before all things and holds everything together Head of the church The beginning and firstborn from the dead This passage emphasizes the universal nature of Christ's authority using words like "all," "everything," and "firstborn" repeatedly. There isn't a single aspect of existence that falls outside His domain. To put it into Abraham Kuyper’s words, “no single piece of our mental world is to be hermetically sealed off ...
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Faithful and True

One of the amazing truths about Scripture is it's sheer reliability. There has never (not once in any way!) been an archaeolgical discovery that contradicts the biblical accounts. In fact, the oldest existing portions of Scripture are literally miraculous in their direct continuity with our current biblical text! What that means is that in every discovery of ancient texts from Scripture, the documents we find match the text we know and use today. Let that sit for a minute. The things we read today are the same things that believers read then. It's not a mythologized account, where Jesus is 10' tall and shoots lighting from his eyes as he exits the tomb, but an accurate accounting of the most important truths in the universe. In fact, the oldest existing portions of Scripture we have are from Numbers 6. They date to before the fall of the temple to Babylon in 586 BC. And they're essentially identical to what you read today (another interesting part- the text was inscribe...
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