The Look of Love

Jesus looked at him and loved him.—Mark 10:21 (NIV)

As Jesus was wrapping up a visit to Judea, a young man commonly dubbed “the rich young ruler” ran up and knelt before Him to ask for the key to eternal life. Jesus cited some of the most common commandments—don’t murder, commit adultery, lie, cheat, or dishonor your parents—leaving the man feeling pretty (more…)

The Name Above All Names

Recently members of our church distributed school supplies at a back-to-school event in an underprivileged community. To our church’s credit, we had more volunteers than we needed to man the tables, so I decided to be on the lookout for families as they arrived or for people carrying empty backpacks. Then I would lead families to the tables where they would (more…)

Your Ambassador Status

We are, therefore, Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.—2 Corinthians 5:20

If you have placed your faith in Christ, you are more than His child: You’re His ambassador. But did you ever stop to think about what it means to be an ambassador? The role comes with (more…)

When FOMO Matters

But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him . . . ”—1 Corinthians 2:9

For a while, I kept hearing about FOMO, fear of missing out. (For the record, I was definitely missing out when it came to the meanings of our (more…)

Knowing God vs. Knowing About God

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.—James 2:19

Years ago, I worked for the popular pastor of a large church. People were draw by his charismatic personality. He shared so many personal anecdotes in his messages that people felt they knew him. This made for some borderline creepy scenarios, both in person and via email. 

With (more…)