The Blood of Christ and Spiritual Battle

The blood of Christ, shed on Calvary’s Tree, creates the holy space for spiritual victory–for our soul’s greatest satisfaction. Ephesians 1:7-8 tells us that “we have redemption through [Christ’s] blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” The blood of READ MORE

The Sower and the Soils

With the turn of the page the reader of Mark’s gospel turns from a captivating introduction to Jesus’ remarkable life, toward a more narrow focus on a ministry that revolutionizes the world, but not easily, not comfortably, and not without serious conflict. Chapter four of Mark’s gospel is an important pivot point, one that begs READ MORE

Brutal Honesty

If we are brutally honest, all of us have issues of shame and fear and regret in our lives. All of us have sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. This reality keeps us from God (Romans 6:23). To what extent are you willing to acknowledge this in your own life? What are the ways READ MORE

A Call to Fight

One of the primary features of the Gospel of Mark is the reality that beyond the scope of time and space there is a spiritual realm that is very real and very active. Indeed, one can make the case that before the public truly acknowledged Jesus as unique, forces from the realm beyond time and READ MORE

On Noble Things Men Stand

Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of my most beloved heroes. A German pastor and professor who gave his life to the cause of opposing Hitler and the Nazi regime, his legacy is vast. On April 6, 1943, Bonhoeffer was arrested by the Gestapo, largely due to his efforts to rescue Jewish friends and family and help READ MORE