Focal Passage: John 15:1-17 

One of the most popular topics among believers is spiritual growth. It’s the subject of countless books and blogs, the theme of numerous conferences and events, and the aim of sermon series, church programs and small group studies. 

According to Barna Research, 75 percent of Christian adults desire spiritual growth in their lives. This desire comes naturally for true believers who are being sanctified in Christ, and hopefully you’re among the many who want greater spiritual growth in your life today. 

But even though the majority of believers long to grow spiritually, many have questions about how to get there. What are the keys for having a greater sense of God’s presence and comfort? How do we develop spiritual strength and wisdom and reorient our hearts towards God’s will? Where do we find the power to resist temptation and remain obedient to Christ?  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 14:16-29

According to the World Health Organization, approximately 264 million people have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder — and these numbers continue to rise, especially among children. Those who suffer often feel restless and on edge, and experience frequent headaches, stomachaches, and other pains. 

Many sense difficulty when trying to concentrate, sleep, make decisions, and control feelings of worry and doubt. But whether we live with an anxiety disorder or just experience the normal stresses and concerns of life, almost everyone in the world is searching for peace. And Jesus’ disciples were no exception. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 13:31-14:6

A few years ago, Emily and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary by taking a very special vacation. The only difficult part was leaving our small children behind for over a week as we traveled to a distant country. 

As expected, our girls were very apprehensive about us leaving. I was a little nervous about leaving them as well. We had practically been with them every moment since they were born, providing for all of their needs, protecting them from everything imaginable, and loving them the best we could.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 12:20-33

One of the great privileges we had while serving in a previous church was a missional partnership in Haiti. We would send ministry teams at least once a year to serve in one of the most impoverished places in the world, both materially and spiritually. 

However, on one of our trips, we were connected with a group from another state and worked alongside them for a day. But to our disappointment, rather than hearing about their heart for the Haitian people and their desire to tell them about Jesus, all they seemed to do was complain about the extreme heat, the food, the lack of cell phone coverage, the grueling work involved and how they were all ready to go back home. 

For many church groups, the idea of serving on a short-term mission trip in a remote place seems exciting and fulfilling until they discover what real life is like in these parts of the world. The same is true when it comes to those who are interested in following Jesus.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 12:1-11

Not long after we married, my wife and I quickly discovered the value of looking at the weekly supermarket circular before heading to the store to buy groceries.

 It was astounding to see how much money we would save by simply planning meals around what was on sale. After doing this for a while, we became very familiar with how certain products were priced and could quickly determine if it was a good time to buy. 

For example, if we noticed that salted caramel ice-cream was listed for $1.99/quart, it wasn’t a hard decision to add it to our list. But if a pork loin was $4.99/pound, we were definitely eating chicken that week! However, for any item, there was always a mental process of determining if what we were paying was really worth what we are getting in return.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 11:32-46

Death is hard. It’s a reality that no one wants to face. 

We dread the day that we will have to say an earthly goodbye to our loved ones, and the thought of our own departure from this world can be equally disturbing. 

Even when we try to distract ourselves from this mortal reality, our news channels and social media feeds are constantly bombarding us with stories of global catastrophes, tragic accidents, vicious murders, fatal illnesses and familiar names in local obituaries —  all painful reminders that earthly life will eventually come to an end. 

However, because we live under a sinful curse, death is unavoidable, and no one knew this better than Jesus.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 10:7-14, 25-30

One of the major theological distinctives we hold as Southern Baptists is the eternal security of the believer. According to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, “All true believers endure to the end. 

Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end…. they shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation” (Article V). 

Some have labeled this teaching, “Once saved, always saved,” but I prefer the description, “Once saved, always following,” because it indicates that true salvation is evidenced by a life that follows Jesus until the end. But such a comforting doctrine isn’t grounded on our personal hopes and wishes. Rather, it’s based in part on the teaching that Jesus shares with us in John 10, where He details how He is the “good shepherd.”  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 9:24-38

A few months ago, while interviewing a candidate for a children’s ministry position, our search committee asked him the question, “What are some of the biggest challenges in children’s ministry today?” 

With almost no hesitation, he mentioned the difficulty of overcoming the seven most deadly words of a church: “We’ve never done it that way before.” Although he went on to mention other difficulties and obstacles, which generally come from the outside, his first answer reflects a deep problem that people struggle with from within: a heart that is resistant to change. 

Overcoming a hard heart is among the most difficult challenges for any human. In our sinful condition, our natural tendency is to feel like we know what is best and to do things our way. Our pridefulness often leads us to value tradition over truth, comfort over change, frustration over flexibility and repetition over repentance.  [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 8:3-18

A few years ago, Emily and I made a quick trip north to visit Mammoth Cave National Park. The cave is appropriately named because at 285 miles in length it’s the longest cavern system in the world. 

While we were inside, our eyes were opened to magnificent rock formations, spikey stalactites, tight passages and underground streams and waterfalls. But there was one part of our tour that I will never forget. 

The park ranger asked everyone to turn off their phones and cameras, and then he turned off the lights — all of them. I’ve never experienced darkness like that before in my life. The room was pitch black in every direction. [Read more…]

Focal Passage: John 7:14-29

As Jesus was standing trial following His arrest, Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, asked Him if He was “King of the Jews.” 

Jesus affirmed that he was a king (not earthly, but spiritual), and concluded by saying, “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world — to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37). But after hearing His words, Pilate curiously replied, “What is truth?” 

While we often brush past Pilate’s response, what he says really summarizes the deepest thoughts and assumptions of today’s culture, where “truth” doesn’t exist as something fixed or concrete, but a standard we create for ourselves. 

In the postmodern world, truth is simply what a person believes and values, and that can differ from person to person. We hear people describe truth in terms of “your truth” and “my truth,” where there are no universal standards or morals, only what each person has decided is best in his or her own heart.  [Read more…]