Theme of the Day: The Found Are Left; The Lost Are Found “He’s lost.” We use that term not only to refer to someone who is bewildered about where they are but also to refer to someone who is in a helpless, hopeless state. Mankind’s natural state is one of complete spiritual helplessness, a profound […]

Theme of the Day: Count the Cost This week Jesus’ sharp words expose our desire to pursue comfort and avoid pain at all costs. Jesus explains that following him will be hard. Jesus’ disciples will be called to let go of things they love and embrace things we naturally loathe. Jesus promises that discipleship comes […]

Theme of the Day: Those Who Exalt Themselves Will Be Humbled Everyone knows that humility is a positive trait and pride is a negative one. So, why bother talking about what we already know? Because in spite of that knowledge, we still helplessly fall into the trap of pride. We all desire acclaim, recognition, and […]

Theme of the Day: The Door Is Very Narrow When it comes to the uncomfortable topic of who goes to heaven and who goes to hell, it is natural to want to avoid the issue. One way we do that is to direct our attention to more theoretical questions. “What is heaven like?” “How old […]

Theme of the Day: God’s Word Divides We often divide humanity into groupings that are not really significant: this ethnic group versus that one, men versus women, wealthy versus poor. Yet, every ethnic group is under God’s law. That law equally convicts men and women of sin. Because of sin, both the wealthy and poor […]

Theme of the Day: Focused Living Properly Values Heavenly Treasure Last week Jesus warned us against overvaluing earthly wealth. This week Jesus warns against undervaluing heavenly treasure. Last week, Jesus exposed the folly of greed. This week, Jesus exposes the folly of worry, even when faced with the prospect of having a seeming shortage of […]

Theme of the Day: On Useful Resources Money. Possessions. Perhaps more than anything else, those things have the power to turn our attention away from what is truly important. It is no surprise, therefore, that Jesus frequently teaches about wealth. Christ wants us to understand that it is our heavenly Father who provides us with […]

Theme of the Day: On The Privilege And Purpose Of Prayer In a sense, prayer comes naturally to us. We want so we ask. We hurt so we cry out. We are frustrated so we vent. We are blessed so we give thanks. What does not come naturally, however, is a proper understanding of the […]

Theme of the Day: On The One Thing Needed We might object to Jesus’ words. There seems to be more than one true need. We need water, food, clothing, shelter, friendship, etc. Yet, what Jesus said is true. Because only one thing—the gospel—can create and sustain the faith that makes one God’s dear child and […]

Theme of the Day: On A Neighbor In Need We tend to think of distraction and focus as opposites. If someone is focused, they are not easily distracted. If someone is focused, every decision is calculated. Apart from Christ that type of focus spells disaster for our neighbor. We may dismiss the needs of our […]