Jesus chose children, with no status and no power, as the standard for greatness in his Kingdom. It’s a concept foreign to our culture today, just as it was then.

Sometimes we need to more carefully discern between God’s will and personal preference. God’s people have been failing at this for centuries.

“All to Jesus, I surrender . . .” The aspiration of the old hymn threads through each of this week’s posts. Choose one or two to read again. Then decide which of your friends would be helped if you shared a post with them.

While God invites us into participating in his Kingdom mission, our actions will not stop God’s plans or success. Our response, even if we arrogantly refuse or think we have a better plan, will never stop the advancement of God’s Kingdom.

Two journeys. Two remarkably different settings. But the simplest of the two was where I felt closest to God.

Heart issues have to do with the value of life, fidelity in marriage, murder, lying, and slander. Forgetting to wash your hands properly or keeping appearances are not the top priority. This may offend Pharisees, but Jesus isn’t worried about these things.

Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with meetings and decisions, I realize I must do one thing to escape the trap of the urgent.

Jesus shows the perfect balance between the Law and compassion. Sometimes the most religious fail to follow his example.

Summertime . . . and the reading is easy! But sometimes a different schedule interrupts our devotional routine. If you missed a post this week, these quotes may remind you to check it out!

My own life experience has been a path toward admitting and then deciding how to cope with my powerlessness. So Dean’s advice about the subject resonated with me deeply.

Jesus has in mind a burden for us to put on our shoulders. But this is not a problem, because it’s exactly the right fit.

The Scrabble fanatic and British actor Gyles Brandreth has estimated that we speak 860,351,500 words in a lifetime. I have no idea how Mr. Brandreth got to his conclusion or if he’s right, but it got me thinking about all the words and ideas we hear just in a day. We forget most of them, so how do we choose what we’ll try remember?

Elisha’s servants had the same question as Jesus’ disciples. God’s provision in their predicament can encourage us when their question is ours, too.

Of all the Bible heroes, Jehoshaphat helped me most during the pandemic with a plan I tried to follow and demonstrate.

It happens almost every day. Someone deserves the recognition that I deserved, too. But the teaching of Scripture shows what we should seek before honor.

Among many helpful themes trickling through this week’s posts is this: Whatever you’re facing today, God can handle. Be encouraged to lay it in his hands as you remember what’s written here.

Are you happy? That’s likely not the first question to worry about, because God has promised something better.

When it comes to weeding, I’m afraid my thoughts go faster to the devil than to God. Thoughts from a summertime gardener.

With unsure footing, they were—and sometimes we are—caught in the space of both/and.

It’s a simple message, really, but if “revolution” means “change,” it’s truly the most revolutionary message of all.