The Central Moment

We cry out in praise to Jesus because there is no one like him. There is no one who has loved us like he has loved us; there has been no sacrifice made like the one he has made for us; and there has been no kingdom like his that will finally bring peace to our world.

Jesus’ remarkable parable of the prodigal son is, at the same time, both touching and troubling. It is a touching depiction of the restoring beauty of God’s grace and yet a troubling picture of our resistance to it.

There is a religious spirit that can so easily counterfeit a true relationship with Jesus. That false spirit minimizes grace, holds on to prejudices and reduces spiritual life to rules. It would cost Jesus a lot to confront that spirit, but he did!

Jesus has your number. He knows how to capture your heart and engage you in his mission. It may take a boat-sinking, net-breaking miracle -- but he knows how to get your attention and call you to follow him!

What boxes have we put Jesus in? Boxes of familiarity or unbelief or tradition? Let’s let him explode those boxes with his relentless, compelling self -- the promised Messiah and Lord of all.

There is an ethical dimension to walking with Jesus and as well as an experiential one. The experiential dimension is encountering the power and goodness of Jesus. The ethical dimension is an obedient life that loves others and lives out a transformed heart.

Martin Luther claimed that people need two conversions -- the conversion of the heart and the conversion of the pocket book. Money is the one thing in life to which Jesus gave almost god-like status. Yet its power can be broken by the God who cares about what we need.

In contrast to image, performance and social media likes, secret prayer hides us away with God and humbles the dark sides of our egos. It shapes true authenticity with Jesus. Seeking God in the secret place is also the key to public anointing and fruitfulness.

Hearts transformed by Jesus lead to transformed relationships as well. Jesus calls us to be like our Heavenly Father who even loves people who hate him. This is the way of reconciliation, forgiveness and servanthood.

It is the greatest sermon ever preached. From upsetting entrenched religious power structures to exposing our own hearts, the Sermon on the Mount confronts us with a kingdom that is not of this world.

Do you know the name of the only miracle that is included in every one of the four gospel accounts of Jesus’ life? It is both stunning and powerful, and it gives us hope!

Resurrection is at the heart of Christian faith. The gospel writer Mark has just shown Jesus’ dominion over creation, demons, and sickness. Now comes his dominion over death itself. He is the resurrection and the life!

Have you ever known what it is to feel powerless? Meet a suffering woman who was at the end of herself, powerless in every way. But in faith she touched Jesus and his power flowed to her!

Amid growing popularity with the occult, the paranormal, and spiritual experimentation -- there is one power above them all. Demonic power may be real, but there is no match for the authority of Jesus.

“Doing good and healing all” -- that is the Jesus that we love and serve. No one is like him. He is our Creator and nothing is impossible for him!

The storyline of the Bible pivots around two events -- Creation and Redemption. In other words, the God who created us did not leave us to self-destruct. He intervened in history by stepping into his Creation to save us!

There are two messengers in the story of Christ’s birth who could not have been more different! And yet this world-changing moment is still being announced by millions of people filled with the Spirit of the one born in Bethlehem.

We may rightfully feel patriotic towards our country and be avid fans for our favorite sports teams, but Jesus came to claim our passions and allegiance for a higher cause -- the Kingdom of God!

Even in the story of Christ’s birth we can find our story -- the story of supernatural birth, the story of deliverance and the story of God’s providential care. And Jesus is still at the center of it all!

Fascination has grown in western culture with ancestries and genealogies. We all need a sense of heritage and identity. Not surprisingly, the New Testament starts with a genealogy because, above all, it is the identity of Jesus that redefines history.

Discouragement depletes us but joy energizes us. Anger exhausts us, but joy replenishes us. The joy of the Lord is our strength!

Can you imagine the enemy of our souls losing confidence? His defeat began at the Cross, and Christ’s victory is being worked out in our lives as we let God finish what he has started in our lives.

Every follower of Christ is in a spiritual war, as distasteful as that metaphor might be to some. But denial and naiveness will never win the day, only a faith-filled determination to stand our ground.

Breakthrough praying is possible. It precedes God’s intervention and advances God’s influence in our circumstances and lives. The Key: P-R-A-Y

There is a book in the Bible that never mentions God. And yet, as often in our lives, it is the story of our God sovereignly and secretly working behind the scenes to position us for his purposes.