Why is friendship such a fragile relationship?
Friendship is an amazing experience. It also can be a fragile relationship. Are we looking at the good in our …
Category Archives: God’s Goal
Why is lying condemned so much in the bible?
Lying is condemned Why this is important: The bible is clear on the issue of lying. It is condemned. A …
Is it a bad thing or a good thing for our families to take God seriously?
It is a new day. Yesterday is gone. And we have a choice to make. Will I make it …
Is faithfulness the proper response to God?
Faithfulness is the proper response to God by his covenant people; seen in a steadfast commitment which reflects God’s own …
Do we want the joy of our Master Jesus?
I want the joy of the Master [Lord]. I want to be more than happy. I want to celebrate God’s …
Can we focus on Jesus today?
Above all else, Focus!! This is more a realization than a resolution. This is not a resolution made at the …
How can a good tree produce bad fruit?
Jesus is beginning to wrap up His manifesto (Matthew 5 – 7). Jesus changed his brief metaphor from sheep and …
What is God’s ultimate provision of peace?
The Apostle Paul alerts us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, …
Are we patient in waiting for God?
We should be patient, even as Jesus is patient. Naturally, in and of myself, I am not. God’s kindness is …
Is the love of God working in us today?
God’s love does amazing things in our lives. We are transformed by it into new creations. When we are consumed …
Do we get swayed by the next great thing spoken by the new charismatic religious leader we hear?
Are we being fickle? Do we get swayed by the next great thing spoken by the new charismatic religious leader …
But what happens when we live God’s way?
Now this is amazing. One of God’s gifts is a sense of compassion in the heart to love. Even if …
Do we understand what Jesus is saying?
Yeshua [Jesus] wants to know. Jesus has a question. What do we make of this? Do we understand? Are we listening? …
Should we submit to governmental authority?
According to the Bible, human and governmental authority ought to be submitted to and respected. This is a hard teaching …
Should we renounce anger?
Should we renounce anger? Yes! Jesus does not exhort us to get angry, as if anger were a good motivator or energy for …
Are we being like a gold ring in a pig’s snout?
God wants us to be wise. He has given us His Holy Spirit. We have all the tools. The challenge …
Are we happy that we can be pure in our heart?
Is my heart pure? That is an essential issue to address. Jesus lays it out in His manifesto (Matthew 5 …
Are we listening to Jesus? Are we really listening?
Jesus challenges us to understand GOD’s word. GOD is the farmer. It is GOD who plants the seed. The seed …
Is gentleness a mark and a part of the character of a follower of Jesus?
What does the gentleness of Jesus the Messiah look like? Jesus gave us the perfect picture of gentleness: “See, your …
Are we learning from Jesus?
Grace is a gift. God gives us grace when we are humble. There is no peace if we are …
Can we be saved by our good works?
Where does faith come from? Faith is not something we conjure up on our own, nor is it something we …
Is our light shining for all to see?
Jesus clearly calls us to do good works! The purpose of our good works is to glorify our amazing and …
Will we stop sinning?
We can learn to think like Jesus. He didn’t expect to get His own way. Now that is radical. Who doesn’t …
What do we know about love?
Why this is important: Love is not about me. Love is about God and Jesus. I don’t know the first …
Are we just using Jesus as a cover for teaching whatever suits our fancy?
Jesus spends special time with religious elites of His day. He is direct always. Are we frauds? It is a …
Are you a servant-leader?
There is a lot being said, by “leaders”, about being servant leaders. I have a friend that has written a …
Is love always “me first”?
God is love. He isn’t selfish. Plainly put, neither should I be. Love is selfless. That is the way of …
How does Jesus wrap things up in His Manifesto?
Jesus is about to wrap His Manifesto (Matthew 5-7). There is one final parable to lay it all out. There …
Do I really have to give up everything for Jesus?
Jesus was quite explicit about the cost of following Him. Discipleship requires a totally committed life: “Any of you who does …
Why should we show mercy? Do we get to throw the first stone?
Jesus challenges us. Are we “sinless”? If so, we get to throw the first stone. Jesus challenged the elite religious leaders. …
Is Jesus challenging us? Why should we love our enemies?
Jesus challenges us to go beyond what the rules say. He knows we focus on “what the rule says” and then …
Are we disciples of Jesus? Are we learning?
Am I a Christian, a follower or a disciple of Jesus? I need to think this through. It is an …
Can we say thanks to God?
It is right to be thankful. God appreciates our appreciation. Our thankfulness moves God. If the only prayer you said …
Will angry people endure the backlash of their own anger?
Why this is important: There is a natural set of consequences for angry people. There is a backlash. Something very …
Is there a plan B with God?
As we seek to mature in the Master [Lord], one of the big three things to focus on is trusting …
Will we be faithful to Jesus?
Why this is important: We are called to be faithful and trustworthy. I am challenged by this some days. When …
Are we proud of Jesus and His message?
Am I proud of Jesus and His message? Interesting question to consider. Yes, I am. Am I so proud that …
Is the goal is for all of us to become one heart and mind in Jesus?
We avoid some things because they sound very geeky and smack of theology. Jesus talks about sanctification. Maybe we need to …
Why are we so afraid?
Nothing is impossible with God. Do we have confidence in Him? Do we know, deep in our inner being, that …
Do we have radical faith in Jesus?
There is much to be said about faith. So … we start with God. God is the object of our …
Is there far more than religion at stake with Jesus?
Jesus is not a fan of organized religion and the elite attitudes that go with it or are against it. …
What should we do when someone drags us into court and sues for the shirt off our back?
Jesus challenges us to have a GOD World (Kingdom) approach to retaliation. Our normal approach to being sued is to …
Where should we keep our money?
Where is our treasure? What is important to us? Is Jesus our Master? Why it matters: Jesus told us to …
Is our intent to deceive others?
Pretense is the purposeful deception of others, usually for the sake of our own interest, safety or pride. Scripture condemns …
What is the alternative to anxiety?
There are a lot of details to life. What to eat. What to wear. Which way to drive to work. …
Should we be ecstatic?
We seem a little reluctant to talk about the ecstatic experience. Isn’t that just for mystics and weirdo’s? It’s not …
Is there joy in being a follower of Jesus?
Joy is closely related to gladness and happiness, although joy is more a state of being than an emotion; a …
What will we do with wisdom?
We need wisdom. We need understanding. Wisdom and understanding is a God-given perception. God’s goal for us is to be wise …
Can we overcome evil?
Jesus stands firm against evil. Jesus challenges us to do the same. As God’s children, we walk according to this …
Does the world of the generous get larger and larger while the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller?
Solomon nailed this one dead on. Generosity brings more generosity. The more you give the more you like to give. It just …
How are we doing with being compassionate?
Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, exemplified all of the Father’s attributes, including His compassion. When Jesus saw His …
Are we deceiving ourselves about materialism and money?
Jesus tells us we “cannot serve both God and money.” (Luke 16:13). Jesus is clear. Jesus is serious about this. …
Are we special agents for Jesus? Do we know His plan?
God has a plan for us. Under His plan, we are to be special agents of Jesus. His assignments for …
Where does the source of our refreshment come from?
Why this is important: It is as if I have been traveling across a desert. A very dry and weary …
Is joy and happiness essential in the Kingdom of God?
Joy and happiness is essential in the Kingdom of God. The Beatitudes (aka The Jesus Manifesto) traditionally use the word …
Is what comes out of us vomit from the heart? Is that the source of our pollution?
Jesus challenges us to be concerned about the right things. Jesus is direct in his message to us. No mistaking …
Is compassion important in life?
This is striking. The first thing to note here is that Jesus saw the people. He didn’t look past them. …
Will the shifty be exposed by God?
Why this is important: Honesty seems to be hard come by as a moral imperative. Being shifty seems to …
Why is betrayal so painful?
Betrayal is very, very painful. Sometimes it seems like we just can’t let it go. It haunts us. Other days, …
Can we refrain from saying evil things?
James warns us about the danger. What we say can ignite a fire. I have seen it. It isn’t pretty. The …
Is it a burden to follow Jesus?
We need rest. We get tired. There is good news. Jesus gives us rest. We find it in Him. Yeshua …
What is the goal of faithfulness to God?
It is all about God. God is God. He will have His way, in us and in the world. It is …
Are we ready to be bold and have courage in Jesus?
The five thousand had just been feed. It was a stunning day. God had been shown, through His son Jesus, …
Jesus has a warning! Will we heed it?
Jesus is constantly challenging the religious elites and leaders (scribes) of His time here on earth. He still does today. …
Are we a part of the religious elites and hypocrites?
Jesus is clear. Jesus detests hypocrites. Jesus calls it out all the time. Our contempt allows us to ignore …
Is the kingdom of God eating and drinking?
The joy of deliverance is amazing. When God sets us free, rejoicing is in order. We were tied up missing …
How tolerant of other believers should we be?
How tolerant of other believers should we be? Even when disputing/dialoguing over prominent doctrines, a disciple of Jesus should exercise …
Are we fortunate when we are persecuted for Jesus?
How does Jesus expect us to react under persecution? Rejoice and be glad! That is right. Can we jump up and down …
Where does false doctrine come from?
Doctrine is “a set of ideas or beliefs that are taught or believed to be true.” Biblical doctrine refers to …
Is peacemaking a big deal to Jesus? Can we do it?
Why this is important: We can’t make peace if we don’t have peace ourselves. That is the first task, …
Are we holding Jesus in contempt?
God has a purpose. God knows what He is doing. God knows who He is choosing to bring the good …
If we drink the water Jesus gives, will we never thirst — not ever?
Eternity is a long time. Think a billion years. Not enough. A trillion years. Not enough. It is hard enough to …
Are we lost? What will be the outcome?
All who wander are not lost Wandering around is not a sign you are lost. In your heart, you probably …
Is self-control an issue of the heart?
Self-control is an issue of our hearts. We must not be wishy-washy in our resolve. We must excerpt control of our …
Will we be happy if we are meek and gentle?
Jesus is clear that we will be more than happy (aka blessed) if we are meek and gentle. We will …
Is Jesus clear about the church and what it means in His kingdom?
Yikes! Many people today think of the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. …
Is Jesus clear about what He expects from us?
Why this is important: Jesus has just finished talking about not judging and hypocrisy in the Jesus Manifesto. At first …
What is the purpose of a church?
Should we be concerned about the use of the word “church“? It is possible that to many believers and unbelievers …
Does our speech reveal what is in our heart?
What our speech produces has eternal implications, for it reveals what is in our hearts. Jesus said: “The good man …
Will we keep the commandments of Jesus?
Jesus is our Master. As our Master, Jesus has some commands for us. They are not optional if we follow …
Should we really take Jesus seriously?
Why this is important: The religious scholars and the average Jewish person of Jesus time on earth thought they took …
Is obedience thicker than blood?
Jesus challenges us to see the reality of GOD’s World (Kingdom). We think a lot about our families. What about …
What does Jesus think about servant-leaders? Is that what we are called to be?
Jesus isn’t enamored with our being a leader who serves. Jesus calls on us to be a servant or a …
How can we control what we say to others? Can we have self-control?
One of the proofs of God’s working in our lives is the ability to control our own thoughts, words, and …
Will God’s word change our lives?
What does Jesus say? We know what He says. We can read His words. We can study them. We can absorb …
What should we do about the poor?
Why this is important: In both the Old and New Testaments, we see God’s desire for His children to show …
Are we hiding our light?
Why this is important: Jesus doesn’t want us to play a game of hide and go seek. Now think …
Should we be gentle in caring for the weak?
The main thing: Can we be gentle in caring for the weak? Yes, we can and should. God has a …
What does God expect when we pray?
So what is prayer? The most basic definition of prayer is “talking with God.” Prayer is not meditation or passive reflection; …
Do we love Jesus? Are we obedient? Does it matter?
I admit it is tough to always be obedient. I have a rebellious streak in me. We all do. The …
Danger! Warning! Is our legalism causing us to be religious frauds?
Jesus has the number of the religious elites. They are constantly trying to trap him. They are constantly trying to …
If we refuse to do our part, do we cut ourselves off from God’s part?
Jesus challenges us to forgive others. It is a clear command and unambiguous. That is our part to do. When …
Does God want to live with us?
God has goals in mind. He will accomplish them. When we miss God’s goal, that is known as sin. I …
Can we manufacture goodness on our own?
Jesus wants us to love. Jesus wants us to do good. Jesus wants us to not expect anything in …
What is the Religion of Secular Humanism and Atheists all about? Will they persecute us?
There is no doubt that persecution is a stark reality of living for a disciple of Jesus. For a disciple …
Can we use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies?
All it takes is to watch the news to know we live in a massively corrupt culture. God’s goal is …
How can we deal with the impulse to retaliate?
Jesus challenges us to not retaliate in the Jesus Manifesto (Matthew 5-7). It is in our core, when someone hurts …
Where can we find peace? Is it in Jesus the Messiah?
The Apostle Paul alerts us that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, …
Do we scrawl a whim in place of God’s word?
Jesus is talking to religious people. That could be us. Jesus challenges us to really understand what God is saying and …
What models do we have for how to be patient?
Who is our model for patience? God is patient, and His Spirit produces the fruit of patience in us. When we …
