Each morning presents itself with countless opportunities to worry. It could be a recent news headline or a comment on your social media post. Or it could be something far more serious—a cancer diagnosis, job layoff, or eviction notice. So, we all know the truthfulness of Jesus’ words in Matthew…

Jesus’ discussion with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well in John 4 is an extraordinary conversation. It comes on the heels of his private discussion with Nicodemus in John 3:1–15 about the need for new birth. John applies his statement that “God so loved the world” (3:16) immediately as Jesus breaks the…

The account in Mark’s gospel of the binding of the strong man and the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a fascinating exchange between Jesus, the religious leaders, the crowds, and his mother and brothers. In his characteristic style, Mark introduces one component of the story (3:20–21) before interrupting it…

If you’ve ever tried to learn another language then you know, and maybe dread, the tall stack of vocabulary cards. Even if you only know one language, there were times you learned new words and their meanings: how to spell them, how to pronounce them, how to define them, how…

The prophet Malachi charged the post-exilic people of Israel with robbing God by refusing to bring their tithes and contributions into His house. They were keeping for themselves what legally and covenantally belonged to God. In response, the Lord invited the people to test him, to see “if [He] will…

Church growth can be difficult. Where do we put all these people? How can they connect with others? How can we ensure they’re being cared for and shepherded? Where did they come from? If this growth doesn’t bring with it a growth in maturity, then the difficulty is that much…