"He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock." - Luke 6:48a (CSB)Jesus gives us a picture of obedience that feels incredibly ordinary. A man building a house. No dramatic miracle. No crowd. No thunder from heaven. A builder with dirt under his fingernails, digging.And Jesus makes sure we notice something about him. He "dug deep."Pause there.That detail matte...  Read More

"I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them:" - Luke 6:47 (CSB)Yesterday we sat with one uncomfortable question from Jesus: "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things I say?"Today Jesus takes that question one step further. He tells us what authentic obedience actually looks like."I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears...  Read More

"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things I say?" - Luke 6:46 (CSB)There are questions Jesus asks that are easy to read quickly. Then there are questions that make you want to slow down because you realize He is talking directly to you.Luke 6:46 is one of those. "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and don't do the things I say?"Jesus is speaking to people who know the right language....  Read More

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.” - Matthew 5:3, CSB We have spent six days looking at the kind of person Jesus describes as blessed. And now we need to ask the question that has been underneath this entire week: Does the description sound like you?Not, "Do you agree with the Beatitudes?" Not, "Could you explain them?" Not, "Do you believe Christians should liv...  Read More

“He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” - 2 Corinthians 5:21, CSBAfter spending several days in the Beatitudes, there is a danger we need to address.You can read everything Jesus says and slowly turn it into a spiritual scorecard.Poor in spirit? I need to become more humble. Mourning? I need to take my rebellion more serious...  Read More

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” - Matthew 5:10-12, CSBIt is one thing to follow Jesus ...  Read More