YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD
Jesus is calling… You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt. 5:13-16 NIV) Jesus tells his disciples that they are the “light of the world.” He uses this metaphor of being “light” because light was extremely important in the biblical culture where there were few sources of illumination and it was dark everywhere after the sun would go down below the horizon. To expound what he means by saying that his disciples are “light,” Jesus gives two illustrations. First, he says that a town on a hill cannot be hidden, and…
STUMBLING UPON HEAVEN
Psalm 51:10 ESV Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. God Is Relentless in His Pursuit God’s love is unquestionable, for He has put up with an unimaginable degree of disobedience and rebellion in our hearts. God’s love is also so unreasonable because of His never-ending patience and mercy with our stubbornness and refusal to surrender to His will at times. What love is this that is so inexhaustible and unyielding? When we might expect our failures would evoke an attitude from God of “Enough is enough, I’m done with you!” He never ceases to pierce the deepest part of our hearts and draw us back to Him in such gentle and mysterious ways. It was the ultimate expression of such an unfathomable love when God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for a world that didn’t deserve him so…
ALL OF ME FOR ALL OF HIM
“I work with young people every day who long to make an impact in their generation. I talk with young and old alike who crave purpose and seek to make a mark on the world. But here is the key to making an impact in the earth: give yourself wholeheartedly to God. I don’t mean throwing our hands up in a worship service. I mean giving yourself wholeheartedly to God. Devote your life to radical, unbalanced, extravagant pursuit of God. Follow Him in obedience to His Word, prayer, fasting, giving, holiness, and devoting your life to fulfill His commandments and the Great Commission…. Extravagant love for God is the right response to the cross. People will always be looking for a way to stay near the fence. They’ll tell you to calm down, to not live so radically. They will tell you you’re doing ok when you aren’t. They’ll constantly…