Very few of us need encouragement to watch out for ourselves. But to watch out and pay attention to the needs of others, just as intently – that’s a challenge. That’s not natural. Indeed, it’s divine.
in Christ, life is good and productive, and death is transformed into gain. In Christ, we’re given a new commission to live for the one who died for us, and new confidence to die for the one who lives for us.
Spirit-empowered love is a glorious and beautiful thing that the world can never have too much of. It shouldn’t make any sense that we’d want to limit our love, or restrict our forgiveness to seventy-times-seven.
God has brought you, and me, and all of us together to receive the gospel fully, and to advance the gospel further. This is the fellowship we’ve been called into with one another. This is what gospel partnership is.
The only people who will stand in that day are those who belong to his chosen servant – who belong to the one that Zerubbabel was foreshadowing and anticipating – who belong to Jesus.
Being an elder isn’t just an administrative role, overseeing budgets, and programs, and buildings. No, the elder is a pastoral role, to oversee and serve the sheep.
If you want proof that God is good, that God is loving, the Bible here says you just need to look at the love of Jesus.
God’s free grace doesn’t excuse us from pursuing goodness, but God’s free grace is actually what establishes and incentivizes good conduct in God’s people.
I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me, you can do nothing.
When Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd, he’s proclaiming himself to be the compassionate King who fulfills various expectations of the Old Testament.