In his book, Gentle and Lowly, Dane Ortlund begins: In the four Gospel accounts given to us in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—eighty-nine chapters of biblical text—there’s only one place where Jesus tells us about his own heart.…only one place—perhaps the most wonderful words ever uttered by human lips—do we hear Jesus himself open up to us his very heart. ...

“There are many false Jesuses out there to defraud you, right where you need help the most.” I recently read that sentence in a book by Ray Ortlund and it resonated with me. Have you ever been defrauded? The word means to be duped, swindled, or deceived. Usually money is involved. But let’s be honest. Spiritual defraud is more devastating than financial fraud. ...

We suffer from excess. We’re overdrawn on our bank accounts, overextended in our responsibilities, and overwhelmed with life in general. And with the cultural anger and division taking place right now, a lot of people are overheated. But when’s the last time you heard someone complain of being over encouraged? Me neither, especially after the headlines this month. They...

Thousands of years ago, a man named Job asked the question that has haunted and eluded human beings since the fall of mankind: “How can a man be right with God?”...

Closing trial arguments are critical—especially for the prosecution. They answer objections. They summarize and present compelling evidence. They establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Finally, they argue for a guilty verdict and just sentence....

When I graduated high school I repeated a pattern most of the kids in my town followed. I enrolled in a local college about 20 minutes from my house. I didn’t have to move out. I didn’t have to quit my job or leave town. I didn’t have to pay for tuition. I didn’t have to start over. It made sense...

Last week, we defined Spiritual renewal as: living each day with a functional belief that all the promises of God in the Gospel are true...

Consider with me some challenging questions about following Jesus in a broken world. When it comes to facing rejection; weathering conflict; encountering tragedy; resisting temptation; and combatting loneliness...

In the villages of Costa Rica, a man acquired a motorcycle, but had no clue how to operate it. Being a proud villager, he refused to ask for help and was content merely to push that powerful machine from one village to another, never realizing its full potential. He had no idea how it started. He did not understand it, so he did not experience it. And he certainly did not ...

My daughter is reading the novel series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. We watched one of the movies and I was struck by a scene featuring ‘The Lotus Hotel and Casino,’ an oasis in the desert. Anyone who enters never wants to leave. Luxury suites, addictive food, enticing drinks, thrilling games, and unimaginable pleasures detain you. You won’t spend any money at L...