The blessings of a good heart transform a person’s life by opening them to the Gospel and making them receptive to it. Jesus emphasized this truth when He concluded the Parable of the Sower. Luke 8:8“Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” [1] Everyone in the crowd had physical ears, yet Jesus was …
The slow choke is a metaphor for what happens when we let life distract us from the importance of our relationship with our Savior. Jesus describes this condition in the parable of the Sower. Luke 8: 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants.[1] Jesus gives the …
Clearing the subsurface rocks is important because rocky soil can appear ideal for planting. A thin layer of rich dirt covers the ground, and seeds sprout quickly. Everything looks healthy. Yet, just below the surface, lies a shelf of solid rock. The roots cannot penetrate it. They spread shallowly, drawing only temporary moisture. When the …
When we think of spiritual warfare, we don’t think of the invisible thief! We often imagine dramatic confrontations or fierce temptations. Yet Jesus describes something much quieter. In the Parable of the Sower, the devil appears not as a roaring lion but as a thief. Luke 8:5 A farmer went out to plant his seed. As …
During times of uncertainty and distress, we want to be rooted where it matters most: in our God. Even though Jeremiah lived long before Jesus walked the earth, the Lord had told him that it was better to trust Him than to trust humans. Jeremiah 17: 5 This is what the Lord says: “Cursed are those …
Paul closes his letter to the Galatian churches by urging them to sow a life that matters. He gives us all an important principle: we reap what we sow. Every choice we make plants a seed. Galatians 6: 7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those …
Paul wanted the Galatian churches to know that through the mercy and grace of Jesus, we have freedom with a purpose. Paul had risked his life to preach the Gospel and plant these churches, and now false teachers were leading them astray. These people wanted the Gentiles in these churches to follow the Jewish laws …
We are adopted and accepted as children of God through the power of the Trinity. God had given the law many years before Jesus was born. This law wasn’t God’s final revelation, but it was preparation for the revelation and redemption of Christ. All the law could do was reveal our desperate need for restoration. …
We are God’s children through faith, a wonderful blessing that Paul discusses in Galatians Chapter 3. He opens the chapter by taking his readers back to Abraham. Long before laws, rituals, or religious performance, Abraham was declared righteous because he trusted God. God’s promise rested on faith, not on human achievement. This truth cuts across …
Living by faith is part of a believer’s faith journey, though it is not easy and marks a major transformation in a person’s life. Identity is one of the deepest questions every person faces: Who am I? Many people answer that question by looking to accomplishments, reputation, status, success, failure, or others’ approval. Paul once …