The Parable of the Sower is one of Jesus’ most famous parables. A sower sows some seed—which, Jesus indicates, is a metaphor for the word of God. Ideally, the seed lands on receptive soil. That’s what you and I should want for everyone. But there are a few situations which don’t work out. One is … Continue reading Roots, testing and falling away
The new self
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24). Let … Continue reading The new self
Cannot be thrown down
In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul encouraged his readers like this: “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him…” One of the reasons he wrote these words to them was because they were straying off course. They were devaluing Jesus. As a … Continue reading Cannot be thrown down
Not only what you do, but what you don’t do
We’ve been talking about Colossians 3:15. That’s where Paul told his readers to “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” One of the ways we welcome and cooperate with that rule is to imitate Jesus. Paul gave some great wisdom about how to do that in verses 12-17. Not only did he tell … Continue reading Not only what you do, but what you don’t do
Training for the reign of Christ’s peace
In yesterday’s devotional we talked about Colossians 3:15: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” I encouraged us to think through what this means. First, in the Bible your “heart” often refers to your place of deepest convictions and commitments; this includes not just feelings but thoughts. Second, the “peace of Christ” is … Continue reading Training for the reign of Christ’s peace
Let the peace of Christ rule
We use a lot of metaphorical language in our faith. As a result, some things can be confusing. “Inviting Jesus into your heart.”“Washed in the blood of the Lamb.” These are all good, biblical ideas, but they can also be confusing if you don’t know the theological backstory. Here’s another example: “Let the peace of … Continue reading Let the peace of Christ rule
Photo-shopped Jesus?
When a picture has been “photo shopped” that means it has been manipulated. Some sort of program has been used to change the image. Are there times when we are tempted to photo shop Jesus? I’m not referring to physical pictures. I’m referring to the parts of Jesus we like, and the parts we would … Continue reading Photo-shopped Jesus?
Unless you go forward
There are times when we struggle with our faith. Perhaps we have an unanswered question. Perhaps we’ve experienced something that makes us doubt. Whatever it is, it can make us feel… Stuck. When that happens you should definitely pray, learn and talk to others. But there’s something else, and it’s today’s focus: don’t stop moving. … Continue reading Unless you go forward
Whoever loses their life for me
This is what Jesus says in Mark 8:34-35: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Following Jesus means denying yourself, taking … Continue reading Whoever loses their life for me
Mesus and McJesus
Kyle Idleman came up with the term “Mesus.”* It’s when we project the things we like about ourselves onto Jesus---and only those things. If we like acts of mercy and adventure, we focus on those things in Jesus (while neglecting everything else). We think we’re honouring Jesus, but we’re really just honouring what we like … Continue reading Mesus and McJesus
