"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." You ever buy something that looked great from the outside but turned out to be a disaster underneath? Maybe a used car that ran fine on the test drive but broke down a week l...  Read More

 "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him... that I may know him and the power of his resurrection." We've spent four days rebuilding your confidence in prayer. Today I want to bring you back to that prayer yo...  Read More

 "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" We've spent three days talking about persistent prayer, God's perfect judgment, and how He protects us from what would harm us. Today we arrive at the verse that ties it all together and gives us incredible confidence in prayer.Jesus say...  Read More

“Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent?” We’ve spent two days talking about persistent prayer and how God works in us while we wait. Today I want to show you why God sometimes says no to what we desperately want. And the reason might surprise you.Jesus uses two simple illustrations that every parent understands....  Read More

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." Yesterday we talked about how prayer can feel pointless when we don’t see the answers we expect. Today I want to show you something in the original language that completely changes how we read thi...  Read More

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." Let's be honest for a moment. Some of us have stopped asking God for things. Not because we don't believe He exists, but because we're not sure He's listening. Or worse, we're not sure He cares th...  Read More

"Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." We've come a long way this week. We discovered that we ARE called to discern, not to avoid judgment. We learned to clear our vision by dealing with unconfessed sin, admitting our ignorance, and replacing indifference with compassion. But here's what I need you to know...  Read More

"So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." We've been on a journey this week. We discovered that we ARE called to discern, not to avoid judgment altogether. We learned that unconfessed sin blinds us to grace. We saw how ignorance keeps us from understanding the full story. ...  Read More

"But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purpos...  Read More

"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." Yesterday we discovered that we ARE called to...  Read More

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you." Can I just say something that might surprise you? Jesus actually commands us to judge. I know that sounds incredible given what we've been taught, but stay with me.Matthew 7:1 has become the favorite verse of people who don't want anyone pointing out...  Read More

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Paul tells us not to be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let our requests be made known to God. But notice something incredible here. He doesn't just say "make your requests known." He adds something: "with ...  Read More