Jesus’ Prayer for His People
How does it make you feel that in Jesus’ final hours, He prayed for you? For us. In John 17, we are given a rare and sacred glimpse into the heart of Jesus as He lifts His eyes toward Heaven and speaks to the Father. These words come in the final moments before His arrest—before...
The King on the Cross
One of my most cherished memories as a young girl was attending Easter sunrise services with my family. We would wake up around five o’clock on Easter morning, dress warmly, pack our blankets and lawn chairs into the back of our 1983 Mercury wood-paneled station wagon, and drive south of...
When You Don’t Know the Way Forward
Most of us are searching for direction. We want to know that the decisions we’re making with our careers, our families, our time, and our money are actually leading somewhere good. Is what we are doing really going to lead us toward true life? That desire only intensifies when life...
The Hour Has Come — Lose to Gain
“The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this...
The Voices We Trust
We’re not short on voices in our lives.The real challenge is figuring out which ones deserve to shape us. Every day, voices compete for our attention. Your phone buzzes. Your calendar fills up. Someone’s opinion sticks with you longer than it should. That inner critic shows up on...
The Freedom Found in Abiding
Have you ever paused long enough to notice the voices you’re listening to? One morning, I sat in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. As I looked at what was staring back at me, words began to surface—uninvited and untrue. Unworthy. Useless. Prideful. Weak. I remember...
The Bread of Life
Throughout the New Testament, Jesus made many bold claims about Himself. He said He was the door, the vine, the shepherd, the way, the truth, and the life. One of the most difficult claims for His followers to accept was when Jesus said He was the bread of life(John...
Living for the Father Not the Crowd
What will people think? Although I haven’t said them out loud, I have given away power to these four words more times than I care to admit. And I’m not alone. The Bible provides numerous examples of tragic endings and missed opportunities for people who, instead of honoring God...
What Kind of Jesus Do We Want?
Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water … When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine … [he] called the bridegroom and said...
Gift of Living Water
Jesus is a gift giver. He gave the gift of sight, life and creation. There is one gift that He offers everyone He encounters. Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman are two people who Jesus personally offered this gift to, yet their perceptions and beliefs almost made them miss out on someone that...