Galatians 2:20My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And this is it.It is about giving our lives to God for his will and bidding. We have given them up when we accept Christ, but this text is an excellent reminder that we are now living the li...  Read More

Luke 9:58But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” Do you like the house where you live?A simple question for you, do you like where you live?When Sara and I married, I promised that I wouldn't take her to live in the Inland Empire. We had been given our first church in San Diego, and I loved living there! It was wo...  Read More

2 Timothy 3:12Yes, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.John 15:20Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’ Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. So as we are to understand these texts, persecution is part of the discomfort of living a Christi...  Read More

Luke 9: 59-6259 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead! Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts...  Read More

Matthew 16: 24"Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me." Fleetwood Mac's song "go your own way," Frank Sinatra's "I did it my way," "Shake it out" by Florence and the Machine, and "Good as Hell" by Lizzo; all of these songs have one thing in common, the way I go about things is the right way, and don...  Read More

John 12:25"Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity" C. S. Lewis once said, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.”This first text lays out the dilemma that ...  Read More